London [UK], September 21 : Former France and Manchester United legend Eric Cantona, in a passionate call, has publicly demanded the suspension of Israel from international football, drawing parallels with Russia's ban from FIFA and UEFA competitions following its invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at the "Together for Palestine" concert in London on Friday, Cantona, an outright icon in the sport and also known for his outspoken political views, urged global football governing bodies and clubs to take a stand against Israel.
Cantona, in his strongly worded address, called out FIFA and UEFA's "double standards", drawing parallels between Russia's swift suspension from the sport and Israel's continued participation in sports at the global stage, despite the latter's ongoing atrocities in Gaza.
"I played for France and Manchester United. I know that international football is more than a sport. It's cultural, it's political, and it's soft power. It's a way that a country represents itself on a global stage. The time has come to suspend Israel from the privilege," Cantona declared.
"Four days after Russia started a war against Ukraine. FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia. We are now 716 days into what Amnesty International has called a genocide, and yet Israel continues to be allowed to participate. Why? Why is the double standards? FIFA and UEFA must suspend Israel," the former United legend questioned.
He further urged clubs and players worldwide to refuse to compete against Israeli teams, emphasising the need for collective action.
"Clubs everywhere must refuse to play against Israeli teams. Current players everywhere must refuse to play against Israeli teams," Cantona added.
A day after Cantona made his remark, Israeli forces reportedly killed 91 Palestinians in a single day, 76 of them in Gaza City alone, Al Jazeera reported.
The country's civil defence agency reports that nearly 450,000 people, or almost half of Gaza City's population, have fled the area since Israel began a major operation to capture it in August.
Displaced residents from Gaza City have described being pursued by Israeli quadcopters after being forced to leave their shelters amid the ongoing violence, Al Jazeera reported.
Since October 2023, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 65,208 people and injuries to 166,271 others, based on health ministry figures, as reported by Al Jazeera.
In contrast, 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, attacks, with around 200 individuals taken hostage.
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