Antony and the story of the revival of the abandoned 100 million euro contract

TPO - Antony is living happy days at Real Betis. While his old team MU is traveling far away in Asia to earn money to make up for the financial gap, the Brazilian player has the opportunity to own a European title.

Tonight in Wroclaw (Poland), if they defeat Chelsea, Real Betis will have their first European Cup in their 117-year history. Not only that, they will also earn a total of about 15 million euros for the entire journey in the Conference League 2024/25. This amount is very small compared to what the Champions League or Europa League brings, but it is still very meaningful for the Seville team, especially when they are raising funds to buy back Antony from MU.

Betis' finances have improved in recent years, but they still have to manage to comply with La Liga's strict financial rules. They can afford Antony's wages, but the €38.7m transfer fee that United want is too high.

"Buying Antony permanently will be very, very difficult," Betis president Angel Haro told COPE radio. "We will talk to Manchester United to find a solution, possibly extending the loan contract for another year."

Antony arrived and turned Real Betis' season around.

The first talks between the two clubs over Antony’s future were held in early May. According to sources obtained by The Athletic, United are open to extending the loan deal, but they expect a permanent deal because they believe Antony’s current form has increased his value.

As for Betis, of course they want Antony to be theirs. “We will have to crowdfund him to continue with Betis for at least another year," midfielder Isco declared. Betis legend Joaquin joked, "If possible, I am ready to kidnap Antony. Whatever happens, he has to stay here."

Antony’s arrival has really turned Betis’ season around. By the end of January, Manuel Pellegrini’s side had dropped to 10th in La Liga and were out of the Copa Del Rey. Antony has brought a breath of fresh air, making a big impact on the way they play and the results of their matches.

Antony has become a different player since moving to Betis.

Spectacular moments, such as the volley that opened the scoring in the 3-0 win over Sociedad, the solo run and assist for Isco in the 2-1 win over Getafe, or the left-footed strike that scored the winner in the 91st minute at Espanyol, also ignited Betis' excitement and spirit, helping them finish the season in sixth place, earning a ticket to next season's Europa League.

At the same time, of the 9 goals Antony scored for Betis, 4 were in the Conference League, helping the team reach the final. In the past, Betis had never gone so far in a European tournament.

“Antony is a special player,” said Pellegrini. “His €100 million price tag did not come by chance. Antony is a very talented player but he has had a difficult time. However, he was very brave to come to Betis, taking it as a challenge to grow.”

Antony's impressive statistics at Betis, with 9 goals in 25 matches in all competitions, along with 5 assists and 13 key passes for teammates.

For Antony himself, the key is to stay happy. While at United, he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend, an investigation that is still ongoing. His personal troubles have become a tasty morsel for the British media, and his poor performances on the pitch have tended to be exaggerated, even making him the subject of ridicule on social media.

"Only I know how hard it was. I was so tired that I didn't have the energy to play with my son. There were days when I didn't eat or even leave my bedroom. I lost the joy of football and lost the desire to play," Antony told TNT Sports Brasil.

Moving to Betis was a turning point for Antony. No one talked about his personal life here, just praised him as an inspirational story, a boy rising from the favela known as En Inferninho (Little Hell) in Sao Paulo. Besides, the sunny scenery of Seville also felt like home in Brazil. Antony finally found joy, and returned to his best self.

“The most important thing when playing football is to have fun. And I smiled on the first day at Betis. Betis will always be in my heart, because of the love everyone has shown me,” Antony said ahead of the 2024/25 Conference League final, where he could lift the title with Betis, then dream of a long-term commitment in the future.

Thanh Hai

Source: https://tienphong.vn/antony-va-cau-chuyen-ve-su-hoi-sinh-cua-ban-hop-dong-100-trieu-euro-bi-ruong-bo-post1746223.tpo