ERIC CANTONA was worshipped by Manchester United fans – and they might have been on to something.
French genealogy experts have discovered the football icon is related to Pope Leo XIV.
GettyEric Cantona is a distant cousin of the new Pope[/caption]
The Mega AgencyPope Leo XIV is American but has relatives in France and Italy[/caption]
Cantona, 58, took English football by storm in the early 1990s.
After a short stint at Leeds, he joined United in 1992 and spent five eventful years at Old Trafford.
Geneanet have taken a deep dive into Pope Leo’s ancestry after he took on the role earlier this month.
Born in Chicago, Pope Leo’s real name is Robert Francis Prevost.
The study traced the Pope’s roots back to France after discovering his paternal grandfather was born in Italy and emigrated to the US.
The study managed to map out Leo’s lineage all the way back to 1415.
And it turns out the Pope is a relative of Cantona – with the pair distant cousins.
The United icon and the family of Leo XIV are linked from the 12th to the 15th generation.
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They are joined by the marriage of Bertrand Negrel and Louise Jean, who wed in 1566 in Roquevaire, Southern France.
Cantona, who was born in Marseille in 1966, is also a cousin of famous author Albert Camus, according to the study.
The 58-year-old was recently back in Manchester on a fan crusade.
He signed his whole family up as shareholders in rebel club FC United.
Cantona took aim at United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe for his decision-making since taking over the club.
He claims the Ineos owner is trying to “destroy everything” and blasted the decision to move away from Old Trafford.
The Frenchman said: “I support United because I really love United.
“But now if I was a fan and I had to choose a club I don’t think I would choose United.
“For me, that is very important to respect these people like you respect your manager and your team-mates.
“I think since Ratcliffe arrived it’s the complete opposite and this team of directors they try to destroy everything and they don’t respect anybody.
“They even want to change the stadium.
“The soul of the team and the club is not in the players. All the people around is like a big family.
“I don’t feel close to these kind of decisions. They have another strategy, another project. Do you feel close to this project? I don’t think so.”
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