Erik ten Hag and Manchester United have shown great confidence in Antony. At the request of the coach, who had worked with the Brazilian winger for two years at Ajax and won back-to-back league titles with him, United spent a staggering $106 million to sign him in August 2022.
Unlike other players, United were not buying a global star coveted by top European clubs at the time, but rather a player with promising potential. By most standards, Antony failed to fully realize that potential in his disappointing first season at Old Trafford.
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Now his future at the club is in serious jeopardy following the announcement that he will be absent to face serious allegations of assault made by several women. Antony strongly denies all accusations against him.
The allegations, which were initially made by his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin, shocked the footballing world and put United in a very uncomfortable situation, just weeks after being heavily criticized for their handling of the Mason Greenwood case.
The difficult conditions that forged Antony
In an interview with the Players’ Tribune in 2022, Antony revealed the harsh conditions he grew up in. He described how he lived just steps away from drug dealers and gangsters who openly operated in his community. Shootings, police raids and violence were commonplace in his neighborhood. Antony even remembers seeing a dead body on his way to school when he was a child. Despite these terrifying circumstances, he learned to live with the violence around him.
Antony’s house was so small that he not only shared a room with his parents, but also a bed with them. The family was poor and basic needs were often difficult to meet. Antony said he often went to school hungry because there wasn’t enough food at home.
Antony’s incredible journey despite adversity
However, even in the midst of this adversity, football became a means of escape for Antony. With his brother and other children from the favela, he played football barefoot, despite the pain caused by cuts and injuries to his feet. It was there that he developed his dribbling skills, impressing even local drug dealers and gangsters with his prowess on the court. Antony remembers: “I was doing technical gestures against the drug dealers. I was passing the ball over their heads, I was dribbling like my life depended on it. I really had zero fear.”
This boldness and natural talent for football caught the attention of a manager of a local futsal team, Gremio Barueri, when Antony was just eight years old. The manager had spotted Antony during an informal match in the Inferninho favela and was impressed by his daring style of play, where he challenged adults, some of whom were feared gangsters.
This is how Antony took his first steps towards a career as a professional footballer. He quickly rose through the ranks, joining the academy of one of Brazil’s biggest clubs, Sao Paulo FC, at the age of 14. It was a dream come true for Antony, as the club had seen Brazilian football legends like Cafu, Kaka and his future Manchester United teammate, Casemiro come through their youth academy.
However, his time in Sao Paulo was not without challenges. Antony remembers having to go to practice after school on an empty stomach because he couldn’t afford to eat. Despite these difficulties, he persevered, developing his mental strength and determination on the field.
From success in Sao Paulo to international recognition
His career in Sao Paulo was marked by ups and downs. Although he showed exceptional talent on the pitch, he also struggled with discipline and was nearly kicked out of the club on several occasions due to behavioral problems. Antony admitted to having “some problems with my emotions” at the time.
However, in 2019, his career took a decisive turn when he led Sao Paulo to victory in São Paulo’s prestigious youth competition, Copinha. He scored in the final against Vasco da Gama and was named player of the tournament. That year, he also began to establish himself in the Sao Paulo first team, contributing to their run to the final of the São Paulo state championship.
Antony’s talent did not go unnoticed internationally, European clubs began to show interest in him. Ajax Amsterdam, managed by Erik ten Hag, were the first to reach a deal to sign him in February 2020. The transfer was £13 million ($15 million) plus another £5 million ($6 million) in bonuses.
Antony arrived at Ajax in better physical shape thanks to training during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. He quickly proved himself, scoring nine goals in his first 19 games in all competitions. His performances caught eyes in the Champions League, where Ajax won all six of their group games with Antony scoring two goals and providing four assists.
His second season with Ajax was even better, with 12 goals and 10 assists in the Eredivisie, contributing to the club’s league victory and the KNBV Cup final, where they were beaten by PSV Eindhoven.
However, despite his success on the pitch, Antony attracted attention for the wrong reasons during a match against Feyenoord, where he was sent off for excessively faking injuries, sparking criticism from the team, former Dutch striker Wim Kieft and the legendary Marco van Basten, who called him “childish”.
After Ten Hag left for Manchester United, Antony followed his former manager and transferred to Old Trafford in the summer of 2022. The transfer fee amounted to £85 million ($106 million), making him the second most expensive player in the club’s history, behind Paul Pogba.
He started his Manchester United career in spectacular fashion, scoring on his debut against Arsenal and continuing to impress with promising performances. However, his first season at Old Trafford was checkered, marked by ups and downs.
The impact of the allegations against Antony on his career and personal life
In June 2022, shocking allegations emerged when his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin filed a domestic violence complaint against Antony in Brazil. These allegations quickly made headlines and cast a shadow over his career.
Despite these allegations, Antony was included in Manchester United’s pre-season squad for the tour to the United States in July 2022. He even scored in some pre-season matches. His manager, Erik ten Hag, expressed confidence in him despite the allegations, saying Antony was focused on football.
However, Antony’s troubles didn’t seem to go away. The day after Manchester United lost to Arsenal at the start of the 2022/2023 season, Antony flew to Brazil to join the Brazilian national team for World Cup qualifying matches. That’s when disturbing new details about the allegations were revealed by his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin.
Cavallin posted a video on Instagram in which she showed bruises and bite marks on her body, which she claimed were the result of the violence inflicted by Antony. These new allegations led the Brazilian Football Confederation to exclude Antony from the national team “to protect the alleged victim, the player, the Brazilian national team and the CBF”.
🚨 BREAKING: Antony statement.
“I have agreed with United to take a period of absence while I address the allegations made against me”.
“This was mutual decision”.
“I want to reiterate my innocence of the things I have been accused of, I will fully cooperate with the police”. pic.twitter.com/EBfg47xSsd
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 10, 2023
Antony’s reaction to the shocking allegations
Antony quickly responded to the new allegations, saying in an interview on Brazilian television that he was innocent and would provide evidence to prove he was not guilty.
However, on September 11, 2023, two other women also accused Antony of violence. A law student, Rayssa de Freitas, claimed to have been attacked by Antony and Mallu Ohana, the ex-wife of Brazilian footballer, Dudu, during a nightclub outing in São Paulo in May 2022. A 33-year-old banker, Ingrid Lana also said in an interview with Record TV that she was attacked by Antony in October 2022.
These new accusations have increased pressure on Antony and led to speculation about the future of his career. Police are investigating the allegations, but no charges have yet been brought.
Manchester United’s reaction to Antony’s allegations
Manchester United eventually responded to the allegations by announcing that Antony would not join the team for training after the international break in order to face the accusations. Antony said in a statement that he would fully cooperate with police to help get to the bottom of these allegations.
Antony’s career is now marked by uncertainty and the shadow of the allegations of violence that hang over him. Whether he is innocent or guilty, these allegations have already had a significant impact on his career and its reputation. The Antony affair will continue to be closely followed by football fans around the world as the truth seeks to emerge amid this turmoil.
