Recently, the Brazilian striker became enraged, accusing numerous former Man United players of having a callous attitude and “maliciously” criticizing him. inequitably. “I have never witnessed them offering any helpful criticism,” remarked Antony. Even worse, a “digital court” that has the power to destroy lives is exaggerating their opinions, claims Antony.
The Brazilian has failed to maintain consistent form since paying £85 million to go to Old Trafford in the summer of 2022. In 44 games during his rookie year, the winger finished with eight goals and three assists for United; however, in 15 games this season, he has not yet scored or provided an assist.
The team granted the 24-year-old athlete permission to take a brief hiatus from competition this season in order to address many accusations of sexual assault against women, which he refuted. He has discussed the accusations with police in Brazil and England. In essence, Antony has not been taken into custody or faced any legal charges.
Apart from the fact that the professional standards attained were excessively low in relation to the transfer fees paid by Manchester United, Antony faced criticism for his lack of originality. In October 2022, former Man United midfielder Paul Scholes described him as a “one-trick pony” – a reference to only playing left-footed and dribbling from the touchline. Paol Scholes’s former Man United colleague Gary Neville referred to Antony as “shameful” in October of this year after Antony kicked Man City’s Jérémy Doku during the derby.
Antony was angry when he told United Stand, an independent fan channel: “I see criticism coming from former club players and others in the media who express their anger. unreasonably express their opinions and influence thousands of fans, sometimes even when I’m not playing,” he said. “But I’ve never seen them give constructive criticism. construction, which will help me become a more professional person.” Antony also said: “None of them ever sent me a message to see how I was feeling, especially during the turmoil I was going through.”
Antony believes that social media can amplify criticism in a detrimental way. “‘Digital courts’ are destroying lives – context is pushed aside and truth no longer matters. I am quietly rebuilding myself and I know that I will be able to be at my best physically and mentally, and overcome all the hurdles and challenges that are in front of me as it has always been like this. my life”.
As a player who grew up on the streets, Antony’s life was once described as “hell” before he found the joy of playing football. Antony moved from São Paulo in his native Brazil to Ajax in 2020 and it was a big change for him: “My life has completely changed in the last 4 years. It’s not easy to assimilate and understand all those changes. My life has always been challenging and I have had to go through many situations that many people cannot imagine. I grew up in a hostile place, where being able to eat, have a good home, have the Internet, and have access to a good education was a privilege. I can say that for us in the slums, all of these are luxuries that few people have.”
That’s how Antony explains why he’s silent in the face of criticism. “No one has ever given me anything, I always fight hard for everything I achieve. I want to know what it’s like for people who make these unfair and malicious criticisms to be in my position. My daily battle is to get back to my best and perform at my best on the field, regaining my integrity and peace of mind. I advise those young players to take care of their mental side and work hard.”