ANTONY was widely ridiculed by Manchester United fans — and the £85.5million man was written off as their worst-ever pound-for-pound signing.
After being sent on loan to Real Betis in January, the Brazil flop made the switch permanent this summer — at a staggering £63.8m less than the Red Devils paid Ajax in 2022.
Antony, a member of United’s infamous Bomb Squad, was the poster boy of a dismal recruitment era on its knees, overpaying for players since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
He was one of five doomed Eredivisie signings made by former boss Erik ten Hag, after the pair had won successive titles together at Ajax.
But following years of misery and mockery, Antony, was worshipped in Betis’ Triana stronghold last season.
And now, like a footballing Messiah returned, he is a permanent fixture opposite Seville’s cathedral — his face staring out from the official Betis club shop in the centre of town.
Tonight, he will aim to take down Nottingham Forest in their opening Europa League game.
Antony’s £21.7m move has seen over 1,000 shirts fly off the shelves at £89 a pop — and his new clothing line completely sold-out, which is helping Betis fund his transfer.
His announcement video featured a CGI goat scuttling over the Isabel II Bridge, and you could almost hear a collective sigh of relief from the red half of Manchester, who finally cut ties after the wideman had an impressive loan spell in Spain for the second half of last season.
Pockets of Antony shirts were seen in Seville’s cobbled streets hours before city rivals Sevilla faced Villarreal last night.
Even more will march to Betis’ temporary Estadio la Cartuja home tonight to see the clash against Forest.
Betis fan Iker said: “Antony is our best signing. I don’t know what happened in England but we love our players.
“He could win the Ballon d’Or next year.”
Between the iron bridge and the 600-year-old cathedral stands Spain’s famed Plaza de Toros bullfighting arena, a stage Antony, 25, knows all too well.
The Old Trafford pitch was a hostile ring, and the red of his shirt felt less like a cape and more like a target.
United were initially sceptical about Ajax’s £60m asking price, but two disastrous defeats to Brentford and Brighton sent the club into panic mode, and they were ultimately fleeced in the deal.
It began well. Antony scored three Prem goals in his first three games, later hitting eight goals and three assists in 44 matches and starting the 2-0 Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle in February, 2023.
But the noise had already started off the pitch. The Brazilian was the butt of the joke among rivals.
First it was his odd 360-degree spin — a signature move for all the wrong reasons. Soon it was his predictable cut inside on the left.
And word got around that Brighton scouts had valued the winger at £25m — United would go on to pay over triple that in their want for a left-footed player to replace Mason Greenwood.
During his second season, 17 of his 38 appearances came from the bench, with Ten Hag blaming his form on off-field issues after three women came forward with allegations of domestic violence.
He denied the allegations, spoke to Greater Manchester Police voluntarily and was not arrested or charged in either Brazil or the UK before returning to Carrington after a month away.
Antony never really won over his team-mates either, with many questioning his ability and his attitude with canteen staff at Carrington, with allies mainly among the Latin contingent in the dressing room.
After zero starts and 14 appearances in 2024-25 and with United desperate to get some of his £200,000 wages off the books, Antony jumped at the chance for a change of scenery.
Betis, managed by ex-Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini, were in trouble when Antony arrived on loan, following a run of one win in nine LaLiga games and a 5-1 Copa del Rey exit at Barcelona.
And the United flop was an instant hit, winning man of the match with a goal on his debut before helping to build momentum when former Real Madrid star Isco returned from injury.
He would go on to score nine goals and provide five assists in 26 games last season. And his two semi-final goals helped the club reach the Uefa Conference League final, which ended in a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea.
LaLiga commentator and ex-United forward Terry Gibson, 62, said: “The big difference is he feels wanted by everyone at Betis.
“He had the faith of Pellegrini, the fans were delighted to get what they think is a big-name player.
“The difference in him mentally compared to when he was at United was extraordinary. It can be tough for a player who doesn’t feel wanted and when that changes, the impact can be successful, as in the case of Antony.”
While Antony failed to win over his United team-mates, Isco joked Betis should “kidnap him”. Joaquin, the former Betis and Spain winger who is now a club director, offered to drive the getaway car.
At Betis’ training ground yesterday, team-mate Giovani Lo Celso said: “It’s not been an easy summer for him as we know how English clubs behave in these situations.
“They won’t let you train, things get difficult. But every time he touches the ball there’s this feeling of danger, so it’s great. It’s very contagious as well. I’m glad he’s back.”
On how he was able to get the best out of Antony, Pellegrini said: “Our style is more creative and Antony is a creative player, so he feels important.
“That changes your mindset as a player.”
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