"Fear? What is fear?" - Antony responds to criticism of his showboating
Karan Tejwani
- 16 Nov 2022 11:05 GMT
- 4 min read
Manchester United winger Antony has spoken about his football upbringing and responded to those who criticized his flamboyance on the football pitch.
In a Europa League game last month, Antony was widely criticized for performing a spin with the ball and many pundits labelled it disrespectful.
However, he has always backed himself, having done the same for many years before at Ajax, Sao Paulo and with the Brazil national team.
READ: Antony spin: 'Every artist called a madman until his art becomes priceless'
Now, in his piece for The Players’ Tribune, Antony has explained why he plays the way he plays, taking fans back to his upbringing.
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Antony responds to critics
Antony explained his rise through poverty and how he went from living in a favela in Brazil to playing at one of the world’s biggest clubs in Manchester United.
“I went from the slums to Ajax to Manchester United in three years. People always ask me how I was able to ‘turn the key’ so quickly. Honestly, it is because I feel no pressure on a football pitch. No fear. Fear? What is fear? When you grow up having to jump over dead bodies just to make it to school, you cannot be scared of anything in football.”
READ: Spin Doctor: Erik Ten Hag will be DELIGHTED at Antony's showboating
“The things that I have seen, most football pundits can only imagine. There are things you cannot unsee. In life, we suffer enough. We worry enough. We cry enough. But in football? With a ball at your feet, you should only feel joy. I was born a dribbler. It is part of my roots. It is the gift that took me from the slums to the Theatre of Dreams. I will never change the way I play, because it is not a style, it is me. It is a part of me.”
Por vocês!!! Obrigado, meu Deus!! Obrigado todo mundo… amigos, família, mãe, pai, irmãos!! Amo vocês!!! Emoção demais!! 🇧🇷🇶🇦 @CBF_Futebol pic.twitter.com/Da6aJkkoDx
— Antony Santos (@antony00) November 7, 2022
He then said the way he plays is a part of him, and cites the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Ronaldinho as his heroes, saying he used to watch their clips online from his neighbours’ WiFi access.
“A part of our story as Brazilians. If you just watch one 10 second clip of me, then you will not understand. Nothing I do is a joke. Everything has a purpose. To go forward with boldness, to strike fear into the opponent, to create space, to make a difference for my team.”
Antony is now set to play on the world stage having been selected to play in Brazil’s World Cup campaign, which kicks off next week.
