“Never a lack of respect”: Ex-United forward addresses controversial action caught on camera

Former Manchester United forward Antony has been embroiled in controversy following his reaction during a recent game. The Brazilian left the Premier League giants permanently last summer after failing to live up to expectations. The Red Devils initially signed Antony from Ajax in the summer of 2022 in a reported £86 million deal, which made him the club’s second-most expensive acquisition after Paul Pogba. The Brazilian arrived on the back of an impressive spell with the Eredivisie side, but he was a shadow of his former self during his time at the Theatre of Dreams. Antony managed just 12 goals and five assists in 96 appearances in all competitions for United. The Red Devils initially offloaded the 25 year old on loan to Real Betis in January last year after he was deemed surplus to requirements by former head coach Ruben Amorim. Following an impressive temporary spell in LaLiga, Antony made the permanent move to Spain last summer. Antony’s controversial reaction Antony has continued his good run in Spain this season, managing eight goals and seven assists from 24 appearances in all competitions so far. Antony Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesAppearancesGoalsAssistsYellow cardsRed cardsMinutes played La Liga161654111,329′ UEFA Europa League55321–390′ Copa del Rey32–1––177′ Total242387211,896′ Source: Transfermarkt. Over the weekend, the Brazilian was part of the squad that travelled to Mendizorroza to face Alaves in the league. Antony started the game but failed to impress, prompting manager Manuel Pellegrini to take him off in the 60th minute with his team losing 2-0. The player was far from pleased by the decision, and cameras caught his furious reaction after being substituted. Antony was seen kicking clothing on the floor before hurling his gloves away in frustration. He then sat with his hands on his face, with footage emerging that suggested he was on the verge of tears. Betis lost the game 2-1 but the Brazilian’s outburst of raw emotion became a significant talking point. The player has since taken to social media to explain his actions. Outburst due to inner frustration Sharing a story on Instagram, as relayed by GOAL, Antony addressed the viral footage, insisting that he meant no disrespect to the club or his manager. He wrote: “We are in a key moment of the season and the most important thing is Betis.” “The images from the last match reflect competitiveness and self-demand, never a lack of respect for the club or the group. We remain united, working hard and focused on our objectives.” MARCA has further revealed that the Brazilian had played through a pain barrier to help Betis amid a spate of injuries to first-team players. Antony had missed last week’s trip to Thessaloniki to face PAOK in the Europa League with an ongoing pubis issue. Although he had made himself available for the LaLiga tie, it was soon evident that the player was not fully fit. Having gone through all that trouble to help his team, the Brazilian, perhaps, was more irked by his own performance than by his manager’s decision to take him off. Final Thoughts United have already moved on from Antony, with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo hitting the ground running since their move last summer. A previous report by The Peoples Person states that the Red Devils have a 50% sell-on clause in the former Ajax forward’s deal, so they could earn further dividends should he continue his impressive form. Featured image Gabriele Maltinti via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.