In the summer of 2022, ManUtd paid 95 million euros for the then Ajax star Antony. On the island, the Brazilian never really got going and became a laughing stock. Now he is blossoming again in Sevilla. Teammate Ricardo Rodriguez tells blue Sport why.
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- The 95-million-euro striker Antony was ridiculed in England. In his almost three years at ManUtd, the Brazilian didn't seem to put one foot in front of the other.
- Now on loan at Betis Sevilla, Antony has hit the ground running. He delivers goals and assists, his shirts with the "No. 7" are a box office hit.
- What happened? Ricardo Rodriguez, Antony's team-mate at Betis, says: "Antony is happy here. And when you're happy, things automatically work better on the pitch. Antony is a good footballer. He needed love, and we gave him that love."
Antony is the big topic at the moment, not just in Sevilla, but in the whole football world.
Recently derided as a joke at Manchester United, the 25-year-old Brazilian has blossomed since his loan to Betis Sevilla. 4 points in 6 LaLiga games, a goal in the Conference League and he has already been voted "Man of the Match".
Antony shirts suddenly a big seller in Sevilla
What a satisfaction this must be for the eccentric Brazilian. In his three seasons for ManUtd in the Premier League, he has scored just five goals and has never even come close to justifying the horrendous transfer fee of €95 million in the summer of 2022. He has been miles away from winning the "Man of the Match" award all these years. Various memes about Antony and countless malicious comments are circulating online. Like the crazy Antony statistics that will never be broken: "He was only three goals away from a hat-trick and only one Ballon d'Or away from winning a Ballon d'Or."
Now all ManUtd fans are rubbing their eyes in amazement when they look to Spain. In terms of marketing, the loan has already paid off for Sevilla. His shirts with the no. 7 are an absolute box office hit.
Rodriguez: "Antony is a great guy"
Why is everything suddenly going well in Spain? Team-mate Ricardo Rodriguez has a simple but plausible explanation. "Antony is a great guy. He didn't have it easy in England. When he came to us, he immediately felt at home. We welcomed him well," says Rodriguez. "Antony is happy here. And when you're happy, things automatically work better on the pitch. Antony is a good footballer. He just needed love, and we gave him that love."
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