Manchester United winger Antony will delay his return to the club amid allegations he has abused multiple women.
The winger was withdrawn from the Brazil squad due to initial allegations of abuse made by his former girlfriend as the Premier League club have released a statement, while two other individuals have since made allegations of abuse.
In an interview published Monday with Brazilian outlet UOL, — which included photos and screenshots of messages — Antony’s ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin alleged physical abuse on multiple occasions by the Brazilian winger. It is alleged that several incidents took place between May 2022 and June of this year.
Since that initial interview was released, two other individuals have come forward to accuse Antony of abuse and the player himself has appeared on Brazilian TV outlet SBT to discuss the allegations. Per our partners in the UK at Sky Sports, here are more details about the additional allegations of abuse:
“Rayssa de Freitas claims she required hospital treatment after being assaulted by Antony, and another woman, in May 2022. Another woman, Ingrid Lana, has claimed in a television interview she was pressured by Antony to have sex while on a business trip to England last year. Lana alleged Antony invited her to his house and pushed her against a wall which led to her banging her head.”
Asked if he had assaulted any woman, this was Antony’s response.
“Never. I never have and I never will... "[Violence towards women] is totally wrong, 100 per cent wrong. I have a mother, a sister. I would never want this to happen to them,” Antony said.
Antony, 23, was called up by Brazil to represent them in CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru but the Selecao released a statement confirming he had been left out of the squad and replaced with Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus.
“As a result of the facts that have come to light, and which need to be investigated, and in order to safeguard the supposed victim, the player, and the Brazilian national team the CBF have withdrawn [him] from the squad.”
Manchester United release statements as Antony ‘will delay return until further notice’
Given these fresh allegations, Manchester United released a statement confirming that Antony will not return on time from international duty and reiterated their support for victims of violence and abuse.
“Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony. Players who have not participated in international matches are due back in training on Monday (September 11). However, it has been agreed with Antony that he will delay his return until further notice in order to address the allegations. As a club we condemn acts of violence and abuse. We recognise the importance of safeguarding all those involved in this situation, and acknowledge the impact these allegations have on survivors of abuse.”
Per our partners in the UK at Sky Sports, Antony has not been suspended and is being paid in full as he’s been placed on a leave of absence by the club. Sky also say that Manchester United ‘will continue to review the situation as it develops’ over time.
After the initial statement from Brazil and the player himself about the allegations of abuse from Gabriela Cavallin, Manchester United said the following:
“Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony and notes that the Police are conducting enquiries. Pending further information, the club will be making no further comments. As a club, we are taking this matter seriously, with consideration of the impact of these allegations and subsequent reporting will have on survivors of abuse.”
Antony previously released a statement in June saying he had been ‘falsely accused of assault’ as he revealed he submitted a statement at a police station.
Following the initial allegations from Gabriela Cavallin, the Brazilian winger released the following statement after being left out by his national team:
“I can say with confidence that accusations are false and that the evidence already produced show that I am innocent of the accusations made,” Antony said. “My relationship with Ms Gabriela was tumultuous, with verbal offences from both sides, but I never practiced any physical aggression. I trust that the ongoing police investigations will demonstrate the truth about my innocence.”
