Former Manchester United winger Antony has released a statement after he was sent off for Real Betis late in their draw against Girona for a high boot to the face of an opponent.
Luke Thrower Trends Writer
18:15, 24 Nov 2025
Former Manchester United winger Antony during a Real Betis game(Image: Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
Antony has enjoyed his spell at Real Betis since leaving Manchester United, but he has faced a new setback with his latest appearance for the club.
The 25-year-old was back in the starting line-up for Los Verdiblancos after the November international break, as his side took on Girona in a La Liga clash.
Girona took a surprise lead through Vladyslav Vanat, before Real Betis pulled it back level through Valentin Gomez, with the search on for a winner.
That elusive second goal never came, despite how hard the home side tried, which was perhaps too much at times, with Antony’s endeavour ultimately resulting in a red card.
The Brazilian attempted an acrobatic effort to keep the ball, but ultimately ended up kicking Joel Roca in the face, which was looked at and penalised on review by VAR.
He took to Instagram after to post a statement on his story, which was translated from Spanish, and says: “Very sad about the red card! All I wanted was to help my team win!
“A completely unintentional play. Sorry to all the fans who have always supported me!!”
Antony has been in much better form in Spain(Image: Soccrates Images, Getty Images)
Antony is now set for a spell out as he serves his suspension for the red card, putting a slight dampener on an otherwise positive start to his permanent career with Real Betis.
So far this season, the 25-year-old has four goals and one assist to his name in nine La Liga appearances, settling in well to a different league environment.
That could’ve been very different, however, with Antony claiming that Bayern Munich had spoken about a possible switch in the summer, following their difficulties in finding an attacking option in the transfer market.
While that came as a surprise to many, Bayern chief Christoph Freund recently told Sky Germany: “This period wasn’t exactly quiet. A lot happened. We were involved with several players, Antony was one of them.
“There was also a conversation, but that is in the past. We are very happy with how the squad is currently set up. In the end, at the close of the transfer window, we came out well and are satisfied.”
Instead, Antony opted for a return to Real Betis, where the fanbase appears to love him, having applauded him even after he was sent off.
It’s quite a change from his time at Manchester United, but one that he seems better suited to now.
