Antony feels he was 'disrespected' at Man Utd by being put in the 'bomb squad'

Antony opened up about his turbulent spell at Manchester United, reflecting on both the struggles.

Looking back, the Brazilian admitted there were deep frustrations. “I felt disrespected,” he confessed, recalling the moment he was pushed out of Ruben Amorim’s first-team plans and placed in what became known as the “bomb squad.”

He revealed that being separated from the rest of the group hurt him both personally and professionally.

“I was isolated, away from my teammates, and of course that was difficult. But I don’t want to create controversy. Life has its good times and bad times,” he said.

Despite the sense of exclusion, Antony insisted he doesn’t carry bitterness.

“I can only thank Manchester United. There were bad times, yes, but there were also good times, moments I will never forget,” he explained. “I don’t want to attack anyone. What happened is in the past.”

One of the strongest themes of the interview was Antony’s shift in priorities. Having left Old Trafford for a permanent move back to Real Betis, he made it clear that joy now outweighs financial gain.

“I always look first at happiness,” he stressed. “Money is important, but happiness is more. I had other offers, some very good ones, but my heart told me to return to Betis.”

He underlined the role of his family in that choice: “I wanted my family to be happy too, and they always felt very comfortable in Seville. That made the decision easier.”

At the same time, Antony looked forward with optimism. “My dream is to win titles with Betis. I want to give back to the club where I felt very happy before. That’s my focus now.”

Ultimately, his message was one of balance — honest about the pain of his final United months, but not defined by it. “I felt disrespected, but I also feel grateful,” he concluded. “Now, I just want to enjoy football again and give everything for Betis.”