The Antony saga is over at Old Trafford. Manchester United have sold the losing project pushed forward by Erik ten Hag in 2022. In the summer, Real Betis stretched to pay €25 million+ for the player United allowed themselves to pull out €95 million for. The La Liga club is left as the big winner. The Brazilian thrives in Spanish football and pace, a teammate points out the biggest superlatives to describe Antony as a player.
The fans at Benito Villamarin have embraced Antony as a game-changer, who can decide games with speed, tricks and sharp finishes. In the locker room, he has been admired for his work ethic and mental strength.
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Former Barcelona and Borussia-Dortmund player Marc Bartra, now Antony’s teammate at Real Betis, explains why the Brazilian’s success comes here and not in the “primitive” Premier League.
“It’s a style of football that suits him very well, that’s why we see the real Antony again, even improved. The first day I spoke to him, I already saw his mentality, with that quality and Brazilian talent. I always say he’s a mix of Neymar and Cristiano. He has the same mentality as Cristiano, always striving for more and is very focused on the game,” Bartra boasted to MundoBetis.
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Bartra’s comments reflect the belief in the squad that Antony has rediscovered both the joy and the edge in attack. His teammates see him as a player who sets the tone for the rest of the front line.
Antony’s rise at Real Betis has been driven by a dramatic improvement in confidence and decision-making compared to his time at Manchester. At United, he was criticized for being too predictable, and repeatedly cut inside on his left foot without creating clear chances. The defenders learned to keep him still, which reduced his influence and limited his willingness to take risks in the final third.
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At Betis, Pellegrini’s system encourages him to drift towards defenders, rotate positions more fluidly, and combine quickly with overlapping full-backs. The winger has shown a renewed ability to go both ways on the dribble, making him much more difficult to defend against. He also creates openings with smart passes that seemed absent from his game at Old Trafford. He also benefits from being a central focus, rather than just one of many rotating strikers. Betis supporters love his showmanship, but also appreciate how determined he is to deliver the finishes, not just tricks.
Manchester United fans probably only remember the latter, not the finishes.
