Soccer

Manchester United’s Antony accused of assault by two more women

Claims in Brazilian media follow those made by his former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin

Manchester United’s Antony has been accused of assault by two more women. Photograph: John Walton/PA Wire
Manchester United’s Antony has been accused of assault by two more women. Photograph: John Walton/PA Wire
Paul MacInnes
Fri Sept 08 2023 - 17:14

Manchester United’s Antony has been accused of assault by two more women who made the allegations in Brazilian media.

Ingrid Lana, 33, claims that the United winger shoved her head against a wall when she refused to have sex with him during a visit to his house in England last year. Rayssa de Freitas, a law student, is claimed to have approached police in São Paulo in May of last year, saying she had been physically assaulted by Antony in his car after leaving a nightclub.

The claims comes at the end of a week in which Antony was dropped from the Brazil squad over ongoing investigations into allegations of assault brought by the player’s former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin.

Lana is to give a full interview to Brazilian TV show Domingo Espetacular this weekend over an incident that allegedly took place last year.

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“He tried to have a relationship with me and I didn’t want to. He pushed me against the wall, and I hit my head”, she told the programme, according to excerpts posted on its website. “My purpose was just business. Arriving there, at his invitation, I realised that he had ulterior motives. I have never been anyone’s lover.”

Meanwhile, the Brazilian newspaper Extra has reported that De Freitas filed a complaint to police on May 20th, 2022 claiming she had been physically assaulted by Antony and a woman.

According to Extra, which posts what it claims are copies of the police report, De Freitas claims she left a São Paulo nightclub with the pair in Antony’s car. A row then followed and De Freitas claims she was attacked first by the woman and then Antony, who was driving the car. De Freitas then reportedly escaped the vehicle at a traffic light.

Antony has yet to comment on the new allegations and has not been charged with any offence. He has dismissed the claims relating to Cavallin as “false allegations” and wrote on Instagram: “I can calmly state that the accusations are false and that the evidence already produced and the other evidence that will be produced demonstrate that I am innocent of the accusations made. My relationship with Gabriela was tumultuous, with verbal insults from both sides, but I never committed any physical aggression.”

United have not commented on the new allegations but earlier this week said of the Cavallin claims: “Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony and notes that the police are conducting enquiries. Pending further information, the club will be making no further comments.

“As a club we are taking this matter seriously, with consideration of the impact of these allegations and subsequent reporting will have on survivors of abuse.”

United have also described as “categorically false” reports in the Brazilian media that they sought to conceal an attack on Cavallin by arranging to have her treated by a club doctor rather than visiting a hospital.

The club confirmed that a member of staff arranged for a private doctor to visit Cavallin at Antony’s request, but denied that she was treated by any of the club’s medical staff. It is understood player welfare officials commonly arrange for private doctors to visit family members of playing staff if requested. – Guardian