Manchester United give Antony leave of absence to address allegations against him

The 23-year-old’s former partner Gabriela Cavallin made numerous accusations against Antony, which are being investigated by police in Greater Manchester and which he denies. Since the first set of allegations were made public, two other women have come forward to claim Antony was violent towards them, allegations which he vehemently denied in an interview on Brazilian TV.

Brazilian newspaper Extra says a police report was filed in Brazil by the influencer and law student Rayssa de Freitas in May 2022, alleging Antony injured her during an incident involving the player and another woman in São Paulo. Meanwhile, Ingrid Lana, spoke on Brazilian TV to claim Antony “pushed me against the wall, and I hit my head” at the player’s Manchester home in October last year.

“I have agreed with Manchester United to take a period of absence while I address the allegations made against me,” Antony said in a statement. “This was a mutual decision to avoid distraction to my teammates and unnecessary controversy for the club. I want to reiterate my innocence of the things I have been accused of, and I will fully cooperate with the police to help them reach the truth. I look forward to returning to play as soon as possible.”

United, who recently had to deal with the departure of Mason Greenwood, have taken the precaution of keeping Antony away from the club but have not suspended the player and he will remain on full pay. The club said in a statement: “Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony. Players who have not participated in international matches are due back in training on Monday. However, it has been agreed with Antony that he will delay his return until further notice in order to address the allegations.