‘The truth no longer matters’ – Man Utd player slams critics for ‘unfair and malicious’ views
Manchester United winger Antony has hit out at his critics for their “unfair and malicious” views on his form and private life.
The Brazil international returned to training at the end of September as he continued to co-operate with police inquiries into allegations of violence towards women.
Antony was given a leave of absence on September 10, but returned to England a fortnight later and attended a voluntary interview with Greater Manchester Police, having always strongly denied the accusations.
The Man Utd winger is faced several accusations of physical aggression towards his former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin, who spoke to Brazilian outlet UOL in September.
The former Ajax winger has denied those allegations, as well as further assault claims made by Rayssa de Freitas and Ingrid Lana.
On the pitch, Antony has not been performing with the attacker yet to provide a goal or an assist in 14 appearances in all competitions this season.
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He has received a lot of criticism this campaign with Andy Cole insisting that playing alongside Antony would’ve driven him “mad”, while Dimitar Berbatov thinks the Brazilian needs to stop doing “stupid things like tricks that are not beneficial for the team”.
But Antony has hit out at those who have made “unfair and malicious criticisms” to him and the “digital court” he claims to find himself in.
“Pressure has always been with us for those who play in big clubs, especially regarding United,” Antony told The United Stand.
“My life has always been very challenging, and I have had to go through many situations that many cannot imagine. I grew up in a hostile place, where eating, having a good house, having the internet, and access to a good education were a privilege; I would say that for us on the ‘favelas,’ all of these were a luxury few people could have.
“This was a period in which I learned to deal with pressure and challenges. The pressure of life! Today, I see criticism coming from former club players and other people in the media, who unreasonably express their opinions and influence thousands of fans, sometimes even when I do not play. But I’ve never seen them give constructive criticism, which will help me be a better professional.
“None of them have ever sent me a message to see how I am feeling, especially during this period of turbulence that I am going through. The ‘digital court’ is ruining lives; contexts are left aside, and the truth no longer matters.
“I am silently rebuilding myself, and I know that I will be able to be in my best physical and mental shape and overcome all these barriers and challenges that are in front of me because it has always been like this in my life; no one has ever given me anything, I have always fought hard for everything I achieved!
“I would like to know how these people who make these unfair and malicious criticisms fared in my place. I’m 23 years old, and my life has changed radically in the last four years. It wasn’t easy to assimilate and understand all those changes.
“My daily battle is getting back in my best shape and performing at the highest level on the field, regaining my integrity, and having peace of mind! I advise those young players to take care of their mental side and work hard; then, things will happen naturally.”
