Antony shines in Conference League: MU abandons Betis gem

Antony became the jewel that brought Betis to the Conference League final. He found happiness on the pitch and in life after leaving MU.

Betis Jewel

“Antony de Triana, we are going to kidnap you. First warning .” That was how Isco expressed himself after Real Betis came from behind to beat Espanyol with Antony’s superb goal in injury time , round 34 of La Liga.

Betis are flying high, with the quality of Antony as their mainstay, who joined the Sevilla club in the winter transfer window.

Antony and Bellerin celebrate the win over Espanyol. Photo: EFE

Antony's goal has given Betis hope of a Champions League place and will also give them confidence ahead of their UEFA Conference League semi-final second leg against Fiorentina.

At Artemio Franchi, Antony created another masterpiece: this time a left-footed free kick that beat David de Gea, hit the post and went into the net.

Fiorentina came back with two consecutive goals from corner kicks, both thanks to Gosens, ending the official 90 minutes with a score of 2-1.

In extra time, it was Antony who set up Abde Ezzalzouli to equalize 2-2, helping Betis reach the Conference League final (4-3 on aggregate), to meet Chelsea (Wroclaw, Poland, May 28).

Antony 's impact at Betis has been impressive. With eight goals (four in the Conference League; twice as many in 17 European games for United) and five assists in 21 games (the same number of assists in 96 games for the Red Devils), he has helped Manuel Pellegrini's side improve their performance.

Antony celebrates winning the Conference League final with Betis. Photo: EFE

Coinciding with the Brazilian's explosive rise, Betis have lost just one of their last 16 games (W11 D4). Antony has played every full game since leaving Manchester United, where he was unhappy.

Pushed aside at MU with many problems, Antony completely lost the image of the star who once captivated fans when he was at Ajax.

The key to the transformation has been the way Betis' technical department has worked - with a long list of top players no longer performing at their best. Antony was noticed when he shone in a Europa League match against the same club in 2023.

During the summer tour of the US, where Betis faced MU, officials from the two clubs had the opportunity to discuss potential deals.

With that connection, Betis started approaching Antony from December. In total, there were 6 video calls made with him.

Having convinced Antony, Betis then convinced MU with the promise of helping him regain his form.

Not only scoring and assisting, Antony also has some mesmerizing moves. Photo: EFE

If Antony is not allowed to play, Betis will have to pay a large fine to MU.

The deal was completed, with the Red Devils agreeing to shoulder most of the wages. Betis paid just €1.3m for the deal.

Happy at Betis

“Antony was not well at the time and we convinced him to come to Betis. The great thing is that he adapted very well,” CEO Ramon Alarcon was pleased.

Betis paid Antony's rent. The club also set up a team of staff to closely monitor and support him and his family.

Coach Pellegrini is looking to extend the loan contract for another year, as Antony hopes to maintain his best form for the 2026 World Cup.

Only an offer of more than 40 million euros sent to MU threatens Antony's ability to play for Betis next season.

Antony is the jewel of Betis. Photo: X/@RealBetis

“Antony is back to his best and attracting a lot of attention, but I believe he will appreciate Betis' efforts in the most difficult time of his career,” Manu Fajardo said optimistically.

“In England, Betis is now recognised as the ideal environment to revive a player’s career,” he added . If Betis qualify for the Champions League, extending Antony’s loan will be easier.

Meanwhile, Antony expressed his joy at living in Andalucia. “In Manchester I didn’t have many opportunities. This is the best decision I ever made. When I’m happy, everything is good . ”

“Scoring goals and assists are important, but the most important thing is to be happy with yourself. I found myself here and things are going very well , ” he told Universo Valdano.

MU is a thing of the past. Now he is “Antony de Triana” (the boy of Triana; a low-income area in Sevilla, where the Betis spirit is strong), the best winter signing of La Liga and Europe.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/antony-hang-thai-mu-thanh-vien-ngoc-betis-2399014.html