Manchester United winger Antony has denied allegations of assault in a tearful interview on Brazilian TV.
The 23-year-old has been accused of assault and domestic abuse by his former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin, who claimed that she was assaulted on four separate occasions between June 2022 and May this year.
It has since emerged that two more women have come forward and made similar allegations, Rayssa de Freitas and Ingrid Lana.
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Antony has now opened up on the situation, insisting he does not fear for his future at Old Trafford in a tearful TV appearance.
It is not yet clear if Manchester United gave the Brazil international permission to take part in the interview, with the club confirming that the Police were conducting enquiries in a statement on Wednesday.
Speaking on the Fofocalizando programme, Antony said: “This was what happened: I left training in the morning, got my car and went to the hotel where she was staying.
“We had lunch together, like normal. We chatted, like normal. All calm. Something that annoyed and irritated her was when I would say, ‘I need to go, because I have things to do as well.’ I told her I needed to go and at that point there was an argument.
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“I was sat on the bed. She grabbed my face. She flipped. She smashed a cup, smashed a plate … she came at me.
“At that moment, I held her. I didn’t squeeze her, didn’t do anything. I told her, ‘Calm down, calm down, calm down.’” Asked about the alleged headbutt, he said: “No, I didn’t headbutt her. At no point did I headbutt her.”
Brazilian outlet, Extra, reported on Thursday that another woman named Rayssa de Freitas filed a police complaint against Antony on May 20 2022, stating she needed hospital treatment after being in Antony's car with another woman and a hairdresser following a visit to a nightclub in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
A third woman, Ingrid Lana, 33, has also claimed alleged the former Ajax player pushed her against a wall and tried to have sex with her when she visited his house last October.
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Asked about Lana’s accusation, Antony said: “Negative. Negative. I’m 100 per cent certain that I never touched any woman. 100 per cent. I am certain. I will produce the proof and people will understand. They will see the truth.”
“Never,” he added, when asked if he had assaulted any woman. “I never have and I never will.”
When questioned on whether he thought his career might be over, a visibly tearful Antony replied: “Definitely not,” adding that it was his “dream” to return the national team — “and for the country to see that Antony is innocent.”
Featured Image Credit: Getty & Twitter @Football__XTopics: Manchester United, Antony, Football, Premier League