Few players get the chance to exchange themselves after they have labeled an outright flop.
But after his disastrous move from £ 86 million to Manchester United, Antony went from Nul to Held thanks to a spectacular loan switch to Laliga Side Real Betis.
The Brazilian could not live up to his huge price tag when he exchanged Ajax in 2022 for Old Trafford and only five league goals scored in 62 performances for Man Utd.
And when he was sent on loan to Real Betis in January, it felt like a step to remove distractions and take a large wage from the books at United in the midst of Ruben Amorim's revolution of a failing team.
Instead, it turned out to be the revival of Antony's career.
The switch has seen Antony's reputation do a full 180 flip, which returned to the national team fold with Brazil and an army of admiring betis fans who begged to stay.
Dancing with the Devils
Antony, 25, had fought with a bad shape, the heavy weight of his mega transfer costs and the pressure to play for a club among the brightest spotlights during his time in Manchester United.
Fans had called for him to fall and experts and former Pro-Pros were destructive in their reviews of his time in the Premier League.
It was something that clearly came to the former Sao Paolo wing player, who revealed this week that he would go for days without eating while he was at United because he could “no longer accept it”.
In an emotional interview with TNT Sports Brazil, Antony revealed: “I wanted to do things [at Man Utd]But they couldn't train because I wasn't happy.
“I didn't feel that desire to play football, and I had to find myself and be happy again because playing football was always something I loved.
“I went through difficult times when I no longer felt that pleasure. I always told my brother that I told him that I could no longer assume.
'[My brother] said that I had to hold a little longer, that things would change. It even made me emotional because they were very tough days in front of me.
“Only I know what it was like to be there, not to have the power to even play with my son, days without eating, stay locked in my room.
“So for me it was very complicated, but thank goodness, with the help of my family and especially with the help of God, I managed to get ahead and today I am very happy here.”
Bet-Is is on me
It seemed that Antony Down and Out was in United, a player who would not return to the shape that in the first place gave him his Premier League movement.
That was until the Betis of Manuel Pellegrini beat and offered to pay more than 84 percent of Antony's £ 130,000 a week to give him a chance on repayment.
Antony took the opportunity and told the club's official outlet when he first signed: “When the opportunity was to come to Betis, my head was already there”.
Betis needed a spark and found himself in a series of nine games with only one victory in Laliga – Antony would be the man to offer it.
After only six performances for his new club, Antony had delivered five target contributions – helping the Spanish side to return to form and booking a place in the last 16 of the Conference League.
It seemed that they could have had a shocking start when he was shown red in only his fourth La Liga match for a lung on Getafe defender Juan Iglesias during a 2-1 victory.
Fortunately, that decision was destroyed retrospectively and Antony returned to the side the next week to help Betis get a shock 2-1 win over Real Madrid.
Feel good, play well
Antony enjoyed football again and played the best he had since his time in Ajax about three years ago.
The Brazilian, who recently claimed that he feels no pressure thanks to his upbringing that played football against 'drug dealers', saw the results of his clear spirit play on the field.
Conversation is that Spain has put Antony as one of the best players in La Liga in the second half of the season.
His efforts helped to secure a Europa League place for next season and finished sixth because they only lost three league games since his arrival of United.
That run included a victory over Real Madrid, a draw against champions Barcelona and a victory over bitter local rivals Seville.
It was that 2-1 victory over Sevilla who encouraged Betis teammate Isco to tell Dazn: “We have to do a crowdfunding to bring him here for another year”.
While Antony had fallen in love with the club and said: “I love the club, the city, everything. The sun, the people, the food: it reminds me of Brazil.
'And more importantly, I have found myself. I didn't play much [at United]. I had to be happy in myself. '
EUR de Man
It is not only in La Liga where Antony has shown, but also in the Conference League.
Betis has earned a place in the final of Wednesday Conference League against Chelsea, the first European final of the club ever.
And they would not have done it without Antony.
The silky Dribbler has supplied seven target contributions during the knockout phases of the competition – including crucial influences in the semi -final against Fiorentina.
A stunning winner in the first stage and a breathtaking Freekick and assist in the second stage, Antony made the striking star about the draw.
Now he has the opportunity to conclude what a fairy tale room has been with European silverware and a place in the history books at Betis.
Rewards
Antony has scored nine goals and gave five assists in his 25 performances for Betis this period.
That form has not gone unnoticed.
This week Antony has earned his first callup since 2023 on the Brazilian national team.
The 16-time Brazilian cap will again wear the famous yellow shirt after the new boss Carlo Ancelotti was impressed by what he saw from the wing player in La Liga.
Antony will join Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli and Vinicius Junior in the Ancelotti team for the upcoming World Cup qualifying collisions of Brazil with Ecuador and Paraguay.
Ant goes everywhere
Of course with those spectacular performance a call for the 25-year-old to stay with Betis.
Los Verdiblancos fans want to see that the Antony stays in the Benito Villamarin stage, so much that they started singing for him to sit.
The former flop is regularly repelled by supporters in Spain and they can often be heard to sing: “Antony Stay!” Of the stands.
It is also not only fans who have expressed their opinion about the future of Antony, Betis legend Joaquin joked that he was willing to “kidnap” the Sterman to prevent him from returning to Man Utd.
He told Movistar TV: “I will provide the car if he has to be abducted, but let him stay whatever happens. No matter how it happens, he must stay.”
The athletic report that representatives of Man Utd and Betis will discuss the future of Antony at the end of the season, who have already spoken during the semi -final of the Conference League.
It is thought that United would require a fee of £ 32.5 million to prevent a loss in Antony under the PSR instructions of the Premier League.
That reimbursement is supposed to be a piece for Betis, which instead could offer to pay the full wage package from Antony to convince the Red Devils to get him back on use in the next period.
Betis President Angel Haro recently told Cope Radio: “Buying Antony would be very, very difficult.
“We will have a meeting with Manchester to extend the loan for another year, to be able to share a percentage of the player … It is about seeing the construction of the player, and of Manchester.”