This Monday, the Brazilian selection chose to dismiss Antony from the group because of the recent accusations of domestic violence against him. “Due to the facts made public on Monday, involving Antony and which require an investigation, and in order to preserve the presumed victim, the player and the Brazilian team, the CBF informs that the player has been dismissed”, reports the Brazilian federation in a statement. “To replace him, coach Fernando Diniz called on Gabriel Jesus, shortlisted from a list of 36 players sent to FIFA,” adds the CBF. The Seleçao winger will therefore not be aligned against Bolivia this Saturday or Peru next week. In a story posted on Instagram the same evening, the Manchester United player speaks of “false accusations”.
The 23-year-old defended himself against these accusations on Monday, claiming on his Instagram account to be “victim of false accusations” from his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin. “I can confidently say that the accusations are false and that the evidence already produced and that which will be proven that I am innocent,” defended the Red Devil.
The Brazilian press on Monday published alleged WhatsApp messages revealing Antony’s threats and intimidation of his then-girlfriend. In one of these conversations, Gabriela Cavallin asks the one who played the last World Cup with Brazil to apologize for the “kicks and attacks”, which the former Ajax player does who replies “sorry” in the following message. The case was brought before the São Paulo police by this ex-girlfriend who notably photographed herself with a scalp injury.
The player for his part admitted that their relationship was “tumultuous, with verbal offenses on both sides” but however ensures that he “never resorted to physical aggression”. “At every moment, she presents a different version of the accusations,” defended the player. “I am convinced that the ongoing police investigations will prove the truth,” he concluded. For the time being, as long as the investigation is ongoing, Antony should no longer play with Brazil and will bring back bad memories to his club Manchester United, already affected in the past by the Greenwood affair.
