Manchester United winger Antony has been left out of Brazil’s squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches due to allegations of assault made by his ex-girlfriend. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) made this decision to protect the alleged victim, Antony himself, the Brazil national team, and the CBF.
In his place, Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus will join the squad for the matches against Bolivia on September 8 and Peru on September 12. Antony, who is 23 years old, responded to these allegations on Instagram, firmly denying any physical assault and claiming to be the victim of false accusations.
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He stated, “I can confidently say that the accusations against me are untrue, and the evidence, both already presented and yet to come, will prove my innocence.”
This denial followed the release of WhatsApp messages, reportedly between Antony and his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin, where Antony is alleged to have threatened her. In one conversation, Cavallin mentioned apologizing for “kicks and assaults,” to which Antony seemingly replied with a “sorry.”
Furthermore, a photo of Cavallin with an apparent head wound was circulated in the media. Antony admitted that his relationship with Cavallin was tumultuous and involved verbal abuse from both sides, but he adamantly denied ever physically assaulting her.
He expressed, “I have never engaged in any physical aggression.” Antony also noted the inconsistency in Cavallin’s accounts of the accusations and expressed confidence that the ongoing police investigations would reveal the truth.