It was a night for digging out old replica shirts – and heaven knows, United have had enough of them – emblazoned with the Frenchman’s old No 7 “Dieu” or “The King”.One T-shirt, a relic of the time Cantona returned from the eight-month suspension imposed after the “kung fu” incident at Selhurst Park, declared: “Eric is back… His first touch was an imperious pass to another compatriot, Pascal Vahirua, and he still managed to saunter where lesser mortals merely strained.Ryan Giggs put United in front early on, but the match was becoming too tame for some tastes when Pascal Olmeta decided to enliven things with the first of many mazy dribbles. with a vengeance.” Such sentiments may have seemed inappropriate on an evening of fond remembrance, although Cantona, in a brief message in the match programme, sounded a curiously sour note himself.After expressing his happiness about being able “to share with you all a last great moment”, Cantona ended with a hint of a paranoid: “I know many things have been said since I left, but my presence here tonight means more than all these lies.”When the teams appeared, it was quickly apparent that United’s opponents were only an Invitation X Then, with the loudspeakers booming out. He even scored their seventh goal, although the figures that mattered were the attendance – 55,1210 – and the pounds 1m raised for the “Busby Babes” who survived the air crash of 1958 and the dependents of those who died.
Afterwards, Cantona came to the microphone for the farewell he never gave when he left United 457 days earlier “It’s a special night for me,” he said “I lost my passion for the game and I’m sorry about that. I love you all.”The evening would have been a sell-out whether or not Cantona had agreed to come out of retirement, yet there was no doubt who the spectators had come to see. She added that Uefa are considering changing the format of the Champions’ League but denied that the number of participants will change.Arsenal’s manager, Arsene Wenger, has been linked with Japanese national coach’s job, but the post will now be offered to Philippe Troussier.

The Japan Football Association said yesterday that Troussier, who coached South Africa at the World Cup finals in France and had been recommended by to the Japanese by Wenger, was due to visit Japan next week for talks on a two-year deal.. THE GHOST of Manchester United’s past darted and danced across Old Trafford last night. Some, like the monochrome giants cut down at Munich, were present only in the misty eye of memory and imagination, but Eric Cantona returned in the flesh to bid au revoir to his still-adoring public. Cantona played half a match for either side as United overcame his European Invitation XI 8-4. It is believed he will have talks this week with Manchester United and Arsenal.Aigner has said Uefa’s “route to the future is based on consultation and co-operation” and it now appears Uefa is acting to head-off any possible threat of MPI ousting it as the main power in European football.The issue will be at the top of the agenda when Uefa’s policy-making executive committee meet in Monaco on 29 August, when clubs from around Europe – including the Premier League – will be present.”It is a scheduled meeting of the executive committee, but the super league will be discussed,” said the spokeswoman. We’ll have to do better in the second leg because we’ve lost both our Second Division games and we don’t want a rot to set in.”After the first meeting, Askey joked about retiring.

Now, in keeping with the conventional wisdom of his “new” profession, he warns that it is only half-time in the tie.. RADICAL CHANGES to European football’s three major club competitions could be announced within the next two weeks in an attempt to combat the threat of a breakaway European super league. The plans are being considered by Uefa, European football’s governing body, and although they are still at the consultative stage, are thought to include increasing the number of teams in the Champions’ League – possibly from 24 to 32 – and merging the Cup-Winners’ Cup and the Uefa Cup.
The developments come less than a fortnight after Manchester United and Arsenal first confirmed they are involved in secret talks about joining a super league, which is being planned by Media Partners International.It is understood that up to six English teams – the others being Liverpool, Newcastle, Chelsea and Aston Villa – have been approached to take part at some level in MPI’s plans, whether as members of a two-tier league or as participants in a knock-out cup competition.Gerhard Aigner, Uefa’s general secretary, has sought face-to-face meetings with the clubs involved. So it’s fantastic to be facing them in competitive fixtures.”The first match was incredibly open. The statistics showed 30-odd shots on goal and I was fortunate enough to score a couple.