- Shamser Khalid
Brazil Drops Antony Over Ex-Girlfriend Assault Claims
Manchester United is facing pressure to take action regarding their £84 million forward, Antony, after Brazil decided to withdraw him from their latest squad due to serious allegations made by his former girlfriend, Gabriela Cavallin. The allegations include physical assault and claims that the player threatened to kill her and attacked her with a glass.
The accusations against Antony were reported by the Brazilian website UOL, and although the player has denied them as "false," he has been withdrawn from Brazil's Seleção squad. This situation follows Mason Greenwood's departure from Manchester United, despite rape charges against him being dropped. Brazil will now prepare for their World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru without Antony.
The Brazilian Football Confederation issued a statement, explaining their decision to withdraw Antony from the squad. The statement reads, “As a result of the facts that have come to light, and which need to be investigated, and in order to safeguard the supposed victim, the player, and the Brazilian national team the CBF have withdrawn [him] from the squad.”
UOL's exposé included a series of allegations made by Gabriela Cavallin, who is a DJ and social media influencer with almost half a million Instagram followers. Antony and Cavallin began their relationship in 2021, prior to his transfer from Ajax to Manchester United in 2022.
Cavallin, who shared photographs and WhatsApp messages with UOL, alleged that Antony, the São Paulo-born player, first attacked her on June 1st of the previous year. This incident occurred while she was pregnant with their child and on vacation in Brazil. According to her account, Antony, who is 23 years old, became enraged after seeing her in a nightclub where he was also present. She claimed that he forcibly placed her in the car, subjected her to repeated assaults, and threatened to eject her from the moving car at high speed during this altercation.
Cavallin told UOL: “He said that if I wasn’t going to be with him, I wouldn’t be with anyone … I was shaking with fear.”
A second alleged attack was reported to have taken place in Manchester on January 15th of this year, just one day after Manchester United's 2-1 victory against Manchester City. According to the report, this incident left Cavallin in need of medical attention inside her room at the four-star Hyatt Regency hotel. She claimed that during this altercation, Antony punched her in the breast, causing her silicone implant to flip over.
She recounted his explanation, stating that he said, "I didn't mean to hurt you; it was an accident, it wasn't a punch – I just held you against the wall." A photograph was shared, showing what Cavallin said was a head wound she had sustained during the attack. The serious accusations made by Gabriela Cavallin, which have been reported to the police in both São Paulo and Manchester, have caused widespread outrage in Brazil.
In a statement, Antony said: “I can say with tranquility … that I am innocent of the accusations that have been made. My relationship with Ms Gabriela was tumultuous, with insults [made] on both sides, but never did I commit any act of physical aggression. Therefore, I vehemently deny these accusations and [would like] to make it clear that I remain willing to clear up whatever is necessary to Brazilian authorities.”
