(London) Manchester United announced on Sunday that its Brazilian striker Antony would remain withdrawn from the club “until further notice in order to respond to allegations” of threats and violence from his ex-girlfriend.
“Players who did not participate in international matches are expected to return to training on Monday. However, it has been agreed with Antony that he will delay his return until further notice in order to respond to the allegations,” the English club said.
The 23-year-old winger is accused by his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin of threats and psychological and physical violence, facts denied by the player.
Antony has been called up by Brazil coach Fernando Diniz for matches against Bolivia and Peru on September 8 and 12. But the revelation of the accusations led the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) to suspend him from the Seleçao, “to protect the alleged victim, the player, the Brazilian national team and the CBF”.
Messages via the WhatsApp network allegedly published by the Brazilian press revealed threats and acts of intimidation that Antony allegedly made against his ex-girlfriend.
In one of the conversations cited by local media, Antony’s ex-partner claims that the attacker must apologize for the “kicks and attacks.” The response is “sorry” in the following message.
Ms. Cavallin, who brought the case to Sao Paulo police, is also pictured with a scalp injury.
The player called himself a “victim of false accusations” and claimed that “the evidence already produced and that which will be produced proves that I am innocent”. He explained that their relationship was “tumultuous, with verbal offenses on both sides”, but nevertheless ensures that he “never resorted to physical aggression”.
