Antony: From being ridiculed at MU to calling the shots in La Liga

Antony has shaken off the image of a “MU reject” to become a Real Betis star, dominating La Liga as well as the European football stage.

The Antony Effect

“Antony still has potential, he can improve to further influence the way he plays”, coach Manuel Pellegrini was visibly pleased when Real Betis defeated Sevilla 2-1.

It’s been a long time since the Benito Villamarin stadium had such a beautiful moment, after 7 consecutive derbies that have always been Sevilla’s shadow.

Before the match last weekend, the last time Betis won in a match that divided the city was in 2022 (if counting La Liga alone, the most recent victory was in 2018).

Defeating Sevilla, Betis has a streak of 6 consecutive wins in La Liga. To see similar results, “Heliopolitanos” fans have to go back to before the pandemic, from April 2018.

Antony’s influence in this series was huge. He started all the matches, including the victory over Real Madrid, with 5 appearances until the final whistle.

Only in 1 of these did he leave the field before his teammates: the match against Getafe, because of a red card in the… 94th minute (later cleared by La Liga).

At the foot of the famous La Torre del Oro (Golden Tower), the symbol of the city of Sevilla, boys and girls leave school wearing the jersey of their favorite club. Many of them are number 7 and the name Antony.

At the end of January, coach Pellegrini announced that he needed a new element to increase the attacking solution, as well as support Isco, who was resurgent. He chose Antony, who had fallen out of favor in the MU squad.

After more than 2 months, the 25-year-old player has captivated everyone with his own style of football. It has been a long time since Benito Villamarin has had such a strong impact by a player.

Antony is exactly the person Pellegrini needs. Not only does he contribute tactically and mentally, he also represents courage. He breathes into the team the enthusiasm that Betis lacked in the first half of the season.

Antony’s conquest

“He boosts the team’s spirit,” Pellegrini admitted. Isco hopes that Betis will soon complete the permanent purchase of Antony: “We want to play together for a long time. Hopefully the club will soon reach a contract with him.”

Before borrowing Antony, Betis lost 7 La Liga matches. Since he joined, the team has only suffered 1 defeat.

Born and raised in a slum, Antony played football on the streets, barefoot, these factors always help him carry a special aura.

Antony’s career began in Sao Paulo. He quickly attracted attention for his speed and dribbling ability. His style of play was reminiscent of traditional Brazilian wingers, good at breaking through and full of daring.

At the age of 20, he came to Europe to be called by Ajax. In Amsterdam, under the guidance of coach Erik ten Hag, he honed his playing style and became a key factor in the team.

At Ajax, he scored beautiful goals, had precise assists down to the millimeter and showed a strong personality on the pitch.

When Ten Hag went to MU in 2022, he brought Antony with him. The Manchester club had to pay Ajax a transfer fee of nearly 100 million euros, one of the highest in history.

The pressure of a decade-long crisis at Old Trafford in the post-Alex Ferguson era, Ten Hag’s managerial failures, and personal problems (he was accused of gender violence; MU and Brazil dropped him from the team until he was acquitted) made Antony fall into difficulty.

This period of ups and downs shattered Antony’s confidence. Then Pellegrini came and he had the opportunity to regain his lost talent.

Initially, at Sevilla, many people considered this a risky gamble. However, right from his debut, he showed his desire, fighting effort and won the best player award.

Alongside Isco, Benito Villamarin found himself a new idol. Thanks to Pellegrini, Antony regained his best form. Now he is more useful, more stable, decisive in confrontations.

Antony is dominating La Liga and flying high with Betis in Europe. In the second leg of the UEFA Conference League Round of 16, he was involved in all four goals as Betis defeated Guimaraes 4-0.

“I’m happy here,” Antony smiled after leaving the suffocating pressure of Manchester. He dreams of the 2026 World Cup with Brazil, but first wants to create a surprise with Betis when they visit Barcelona (2am April 6), round 30 of La Liga.