Manchester United under pressure after Brazil drop Antony over assault claims

Manchester United are under pressure to drop the £84m forward Antony after Brazil withdrew the footballer from their latest squad following serious allegations – made by his former girlfriend, Gabriela Cavallin – of physical assault and the claim that the player threatened to kill her and attacked her with a glass.

The Brazilian website UOL reported the accusations – which Antony called “false” – on Monday, a fortnight after Mason Greenwood was forced to leave Manchester United. Brazil’s Seleção will now prepare for their World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru without Antony.

Greenwood was charged by Greater Manchester Police with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault in October 2022 after allegations were made online. The charges were dropped in February when the CPS said there was “no longer a realistic prospect of conviction” after key witnesses withdrew their co-operation from the investigation. Greenwood denied all charges.

The Brazilian Football Confederation statement on Monday night read: “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investigated, and in order to safeguard the supposed victim, the player, and the Brazilian national team the CBF have withdrawn [him] from the squad.”

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UOL’s exposé contained a series of allegations from Cavallin, a DJ and social media influencer with nearly half a million Instagram followers. Antony and Cavallin became a couple in 2021, before his 2022 move from Ajax to Manchester United.

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Cavallin, who provided UOL with photographs and WhatsApp messages, alleged the São Paulo-born player had first attacked her on June 1st last year, when she was pregnant with their child and on holiday in Brazil. She claimed Antony, who is 23, became angry after spotting her in a nightclub he was also at, and “put her in the car, repeatedly assaulted her and threatened to throw her out of the car at high speed”.

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 allegedly took place in Manchester on January 15th this year – one day after United’s 2-1 victory against Manchester City. According to the report, it left Cavallin needing medical attention in her room at the four-star Hyatt Regency hotel. “He punched me in the breast and my silicon [implant] flipped over,” she told the website, adding: “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 showed what Cavallin said was a head wound she had sustained in the attack.

According to UOL’s report, a third alleged attack took place on May 8th this year when Cavallin claims the player “tried to attack her face with a glass” during an argument. While trying to defend herself, Cavallin said she had suffered a deep wound to a finger on her right hand which left the bone exposed. As she scrambled to book a flight back to Brazil to get away from the player, Cavallin wrote a message to the travel agent – provided to UOL – that said: “I need to get out of here before he kills me.”

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The accusations – which have been reported to police in São Paulo and Manchester – sparked 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.”

The Manchester United player claimed his accuser had repeatedly changed her story over the alleged attacks. “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.”

Other WhatsApp messages provided to Brazilian news outlets by Antony’s former girlfriend painted the player in a toxic light. “You and me are done. I hope you die. Get fucked,” he wrote in one message. In another WhatsApp message the footballer appeared to apologise for “kicking and attacking” Cavallin.

In a statement to the Telegraph, Greater Manchester police said it was “aware of the allegations made and inquiries remain ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding this report. We will not be commenting any further at this time”. – Guardian