Manchester United winger Antony has been heavily criticised for his actions against Coventry in the FA Cup semi-final.
United needed penalties to defeat the Championship side after squandering a three-goal lead in the second half and almost lost the tie in extra-time when Victor Torp’s goal was disallowed for offside.
Antony has struggled in his second season at Old Trafford, scoring just one goal in 25 Premier League appearances while failing to register a single assist.
The Brazilian has been made the villain on social media following the penalty shoot-out when cameras captured him cupping his ears towards the dejected Coventry players as he sprinted towards Rasmus Hojlund.
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His reaction was a stark contrast to some of his teammates, with Harry Maguire earning plaudits from fans for heading straight to the opposition players to sympathise with them after suffering Wembley heartbreak.
After Antony’s actions went viral, he was labelled an ‘embarrassment’ across social media platforms while The Independent branded him a ‘classless clown’ who ‘reminded everyone he lacks the temperament, to go along with his inauspicious talent deficit, required at the very top level’.
Despite the heavy criticism, it’s unlikely to have any impact on the 24-years-old’s state of mind as he has already explained how his difficult upbringing has provided him with a mental fortitude.
“I was born in hell,” he wrote for The Players Tribune. “That’s not a joke. For my European friends who don’t know, the favela where I grew up in São Paulo is actually called Inferninho — “little hell.
“If you really want to understand me as a person, then you must understand where I am from. My history. My roots. Inferninho.”
He added: “If you think I’m just a clown, then you don’t understand my story. The art of Ronaldinho and Cristiano and Neymar inspired me as a child. I watched these Gods in amazement on stolen Wifi, then I went out to the concrete pitch to try to imitate their genius.
“Even if you are born in hell, that is a small gift from heaven.
“When I tie my laces, I remember. I remember everything.
“This is my story. If you still don’t understand me, or if you still think that I am a clown, then I will just point to the ink on my arm….
“Whoever comes from the favela knows a little bit of what I’ve been through.
“Those words speak for me. And for us all.”
Topics: Antony, Manchester United
Marcus Banks