Antony Breaks Down in Tears as He Completes Permanent Move to Real Betis

• Antony completed a €22m move to Real Betis, with €3m in add-ons and a 50% future sell-on clause for Manchester United.
• The Brazilian winger cried as he described the pain of training alone at Carrington and waiting until the final day of the transfer window.
• He thanked Betis for their faith, saying, “Being cared about is very important to me, it is something money can’t buy.”

An emotional Antony broke down in tears as he described the end of his time at Manchester United while being unveiled as a Real Betis player on Tuesday.

After the move briefly stalled on Friday, an agreement was reached shortly before the close of the transfer window on Monday. Sources told ESPN that Betis will pay a fixed fee of €22 million ($25.6m) with another €3 million ($3.5m) in potential bonuses. United will also receive 50% of any future transfer.

Antony, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Betis, had returned to United this summer but was omitted from Ruben Amorim’s preseason squad for the United States tour and had been training separately at Carrington.

“Only my family knows how hard it was to be there,” Antony said through tears during his Betis presentation. “Training separately. But I knew this incredible moment was coming. Of course, I was afraid it wouldn’t happen in the end, but I waited because I had so much faith.”

His loan spell in Seville had reignited his career, with nine goals in 26 appearances helping Betis reach the UEFA Conference League final. That form convinced the LaLiga club to make his stay permanent.

Antony still had two years remaining on the five-year deal he signed with Manchester United after his 2022 move from Ajax. He departs Old Trafford after 96 appearances and 12 goals, still the club’s second most expensive signing behind Paul Pogba at €95m ($110.5m).

“[Making the transfer happen] was very hard, but we’re here now. I can’t wait to wear the Betis shirt again. I can only thank everyone who made it possible,” Antony said.

“What a difference! Seville is more beautiful than Manchester,” he added. “I’m finally here. I spent more than 40 days in a hotel; it was very hard, but everyone knew I wanted to return to Betis. Now with more time, there are so many things to do and achieve. I had trouble sleeping after seeing so much love from the Betis fans; there were people waiting at my house at 2 in the morning.”

Reflecting on why Betis was always his first choice, Antony spoke of the affection he felt from supporters. “Being cared about is very important to me, it is something money can’t buy,” he said. “Here, I have had good feelings and felt lots of affection. It was always my first choice, and that’s why I waited until the last day to return to Betis. Now I’m here and happy in a city and at a club that I love.”

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

More articles by Jarrod →