What the papers said about . . . Eric Cantona

"Ooh aah prisona." Sun

"What with Picasso and John Prescott, Croydon was already up to its ears in art and conflict. By the time Jean Pearch came face to face with both elements as one, in the shape of Eric Cantona, she decided that enough was enough." Guardian

"The Frenchman was put into the cells by a magistrate, who outside of court business is a music teacher - Jailhouse Rock for Eric as the scales of justice fell heavily against him." Mirror

"Where is Albert Camus now, when his soccer-playing fan needs him? The famous goalkeeping existentialist would have reminded the acolyte that, since the whole of life is absurd, an absurd court sentence makes sense." Independent

"He'll frog off." Star

"On transfer deadline day, when football usually takes leave of its senses, it was appropriate that Eric Cantona and Paul Ince should be in court while Alex Ferguson swirled into Buck House to receive a medal for services rendered. It is impossible to have dreamed of two more disparate events coinciding on the same morning. Whatever force has determined football's fate this season must have a warped sense of humour." Mail

"And so we move on to the rematch. The British legal system versus Eric Cantona. Don King, Mike Tyson, eat your heart out." Sun

"Which is better: locking up Eric Cantona for two weeks in prison; or requiring the Manchester United player to spend six months teaching football skills to deprived teenagers for several hours a week?" Guardian

"Fist clenched, the man shouted `Yes' from the public gallery as the two-week jail sentence was announced. He might have been celebrating a goal. Eric Cantona looked up to locate the source of such jubilation. A 30ft leap was obviously beyond him." Express