Fans were left stunned as Eric Cantona walked off a television set before the Premier League clash between Manchester United and Fulham - but all was not quite what it might have seemed.
United legend Cantona was - it had been announced - on punditry duty for the official Premier League feed, alongside ex-United and Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves.
He was asked by presenter Julia Stuart to give a prediction for the top goalscorer in the league this season, to which he simply stated: "We'll see."
Advert
Hargreaves appeared to panic and quickly took over from the Frenchman by giving a more detailed answer.
Then, the presenter asked Cantona what the Premier League season will have in store for 'the millions of fans watching on their television sets'.
Cantona laughed, before replying: "Television..."
He then stood up and took off his microphone, before delivering a monologue to the camera.
Advert
Cantona pulled his phone out of his pocket, before whispering: "We call this the beautiful game, but how many people in this world don't even own a television? What of them?
"How can we sell this [the Premier League] to them?
"The game should be everywhere. It cannot be stuck on the wall or just in a bar, no. It must fly...
"No-one should believe the Premier League is ours. This marks the beginning. The revolution has begun."
Advert
The United legend then walked off the set - much to the disbelief of those in the studio.
You can see the full clip below.
Ultimately, it emerged that Cantona's antics were actually a skit intended to promote Showmax, an online subscription service that holds Premier League rights in Africa.
Advert
South African entrepreneur Mike Sharman tweeted: "Showmax hijacked the entire Premier League feed with Eric Cantona to promote its mobile offering across Africa - the most affordable package on the planet.
"The most phenomenal stunt you'll see in 2024."
More to follow...
Advert
This is a breaking news story from the team at SPORTbible and will be updated in due course. In the meantime, please follow us on our various social channels for the latest information on this story. You can find the latest SPORT news on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Stay tuned for the latest and follow all the latest developments below.
Topics: Eric Cantona, Manchester United, Premier League, Football, Fan Reactions
Ryan Smart