Julian Assange and Eric Cantona pictured working out together to prepare for unexplained ‘future collaboration’

In today’s most baffling news story, Assange and Cantona partake in a cross training session

Strange footage has emerged of Julian Assange and Eric Cantona working out together.

And it seems as though Assange is a tough coach; the image and film shows a struggling Cantona sweating profusely on a running machine as the Wikileaks founder smugly assesses his progress with a fitness tracker. The curious event looks to have taken place in the Ecuadorian Embassy, where Assange is currently avoiding extradition.

Wikileaks tweeted news of the thus-far unexplained activity on Saturday, also sharing a picture of the scene.

Film director Romain Gavras then shared a short clip of the workout.

A spokesperson for Assange told the Guardian that the unlikely pair were discussing a “future collaboration”, details of which will be divulged “in due course”.

So what could this mystery collaboration be? Gavras’ presence would suggest that this is a film project and one that Cantona needs to shape up for. But then we come to the #counterintelligenceworldcup, which was launched last week as a way of highlighting, through the World Cup, Germany’s plans to resume spying on the US.