Ooh aah! Don’t hit the bar..
Cantona tells fans: Forget the boozer ... go to Madrid museums & galleries
ERIC Cantona says English footie fans should kick Madrid’s bars into touch and visit its museums and galleries before the Champions League final.
The Manchester United legend, 53, was speaking ahead of the hugely anticipated clash between Liverpool and Spurs a week today.
He suggested supporters should soak up some culture in the Spanish capital instead of spending all their time boozing.
Cantona said: “It’s time to open your eyes and experience the beauty of the places you are visiting when you follow your team.
“Travelling abroad can be an even more rewarding experience if you really embrace the local culture and everything it has to offer.
“Learn the language, drink in the culture, meet the people and become the perfect travelling fan.”
But the Frenchman’s advice is unlikely to be taken up by many, according to a study by Hotels.com.
It revealed just a quarter of fans would consider visiting an art gallery – with most saying they prefer to go to pubs and bars.
Some 20% admitted forgetting which city they are in when following their club side abroad.
More than half said they preferred to stick to their usual prematch food choices instead of trying local delicacies.
Adam Jay, of Hotels.com, said: “Away football fans are some of the most passionate in the world. But not everyone takes the opportunity to fully enjoy their host city.”
Cantona shocked football by quitting the game aged just
30 in 1997 and becoming an actor. He has appeared in a number of films, most notably alongside Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth in 1998 and in Ken Loach’s Looking for Eric in 2009. He continues to appear on TV and in films in France.
In 2017 Cantona released a
Cantona, left, and Madrid’s Prado museum Kids in Halewood. Right, from top, flags in Childwall, Emily Farley, of Everton, and Nathan O’Neill, 10 book of his own drawings and philosophical poetry, My Notebook.
Five-time champions Liverpool are favourites to win on Saturday.