Former Manchester United winger Antony went from hero to zero after scoring Real Betis’s opener against Andalusian rivals Sevilla – before later clashing with his own team’s fans.
The Brazilian, who joined the La Liga side for around £19million last summer, has enjoyed something of a renaissance in Spain after a disastrous £85m move to Man United in 2022 under Erik ten Hag.
Scoring his 11th goal of the season with an acrobatic overhead kick, Antony wheeled off to the corner flag as the Estadio Benito Villamarin exploded in celebration.
His team-mate Alvaro Fidalgo doubled the lead in the first half, but Betis ultimately surrendered their two-goal advantage after the restart when former Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez and Isaac Romero struck.
This left the home fans furious at the end of the game and Antony, seemingly looking to act as a peacemaker, approached the Betis support.
But tensions quickly boiled over after the 26-year-old jumped over the advertising boards and became embroiled in a shouting match with a group of angry Betis fans.
Antony opened the scoring for Real Betis in their derby match against Sevilla on Sunday
He later became embroiled in an argument with fans after Betis surrendered their 2-0 lead
He had to be led away from the scene by team-mate Cucho Hernandez and security staff in front of the stand.
In an attempt to defuse the tensions post-match, Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini said: ‘We’re just as frustrated as the fans are.’
It has been an emotional week for Antony, who broke down in tears after missing a big chance in the 94th-minute of Betis’s 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano last Saturday.
At the time, the tie against the relegation battlers presented Betis with a chance to go within four points of Atletico Madrid in fourth place.
But Antony’s miss, among others by his team-mates, left Betis ruing their lack of composure in front of goal and the Brazilian was visibly distraught after the match.
The winger moved to La Liga in January 2025, initially on loan, before Betis made the deal permanent in the summer.
Antony broke down in tears after missing a chance for Betis against Rayo Vallecano last week
Despite his recent woes, Antony has enjoyed a new lease of life in Spain after mustering just 12 goals and five assists in 96 appearances for Man United.
After moving to Old Trafford under Ten Hag, the Brazilian later found himself in Ruben Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’ alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho.
Speaking last September, Antony hit out at the ‘disrespect’ he received during his time in Manchester.
‘They were very tough months in England, more than 40 days in the hotel, training separately… I feel like they disrespected me, but that’s not the point,’ he told El Desmarque.
‘I don’t want to create controversy; that’s life. I’m very grateful for the club; there were bad times, but also good times, with two titles.’
