Manchester United say they are "taking seriously" allegations against Brazilian winger Antony, who has been accused of assault and domestic abuse by his former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin.
Police in Sao Paulo and Manchester are investigating the allegations made by Cavallin, which include that he attacked her while pregnant and threatened to push her out of a moving car. Cavallin detailed those claims to Brazilian publication UOL, after which the Brazil national team dropped Antony from their squad for the upcoming international games against Bolivia and Peru.
United have not confirmed whether they will take any action over Antony, enquiries into whom come weeks after the club concluded their investigation into forward Mason Greenwood, who has now left on loan to Getafe. "Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony and notes that the Police are conducting enquiries," said a statement from the club. "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."
Antony has said that the accusations made against him are false, adding in a post on his Instagram Stories that "my relationship with Ms. Gabriela was tumultuous, with verbal offenses from both sides, but I never practiced any physical aggression".
Women's Aid, a UK charity working to end violence against women and children, warned that allowing an alleged perpetrator to appear on the pitch would have an impact on survivors of domestic abuse. United's statement offered no indication as to whether Antony will be considered for selection by Erik ten Hag during the police enquiries.
Teresa Parker, head of media at Women's Aid, said: "Domestic abuse is prevalent in our society and all employers, including football clubs, need clear policies and procedures about what to do when allegations are made against an employee. In every alleged domestic abuse case, safeguarding is vital, to ensure the safety of everyone involved while proceedings are ongoing.
"When the alleged perpetrator is a high-profile footballer, we know from survivors of domestic abuse that this has an impact on both football fans and wider society, who can see them playing and celebrated on the pitch as a sign that the issue is not being taken seriously.
"At Women's Aid, we have been speaking to Manchester United over the past few weeks, and recently met with them to talk about the work we do at the charity and in our football campaign. Sharing insights and knowledge are important to creating understanding of domestic abuse, which can then be factored into future decision making. At Women's Aid we welcome these conversations, and value building relationships that we hope will have a positive impact moving forward."
United's response to the Antony case will come under an even brighter spotlight in light of their much criticised handling of Greenwood. Charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault against the forward were dropped in February this year after the Crown Prosecution Service concluded there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction following the withdrawal of key witnesses. The club's own internal investigation concluded that Greenwood had not committed the alleged offences with chief executive Richard Arnold stating that he had "alternative explanations" for audio recordings posted online.
Greenwood and United ultimately agreed to part ways, on Friday he joined La Liga side Getafe on loan until the end of the season.
