Antony's agent Junior Pedroso hits back at 'very superficial' Ruben Amorim criticism - 'We completely disagree'
By Jonny Bray
Published 06/03/2025 at 19:10 GMT
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Antony has gone from strength to strength since joining Spanish side Real Betis on loan until the end of the season. However, his Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim believes that his turnaround in form is in part due to the difference in physicality between the Premier League and La Liga. Now the forward's agent Junior Pedroso has hit back, describing Amorim's analysis as "superficial".
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Antony's agent Junior Pedroso has hit back at Ruben Amorim's claim that the Brazilian winger did not have the physicality to excel in the Premier League while at Manchester United.
Antony has bounced back from a difficult spell at Old Trafford during the early stages of his loan at Real Betis, scoring two goals and registering two assists in five La Liga appearances.
Amorim argued that the physical demands of the Premier League are one of the reasons why Antony's performances have improved in Spain.
"When you play against any team in England, the physicality is there. If you don’t have physicality, you will struggle a lot," said Amorim.
"Antony is so much better now in Spain. It’s [because of] a lot of factors but I guarantee you it’s physicality."
However, Pedroso defended his client in an interview with Marca, insisting that the forward did not get the opportunity to shine in English football.
"We respect the opinion of coach Ruben Amorim, but we completely disagree with his analysis," Pedroso told Marca.
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"Associating Antony's lack of success at Manchester United solely with the issue of his physique is a very superficial argument and does not correspond to reality.
"The truth is that Antony has not had enough prominence or the confidence necessary to display his best football.
"Of the 15 games in which Amorim managed Manchester United, he only used Antony in nine, with a total of 252 minutes played.
"This represents only 18.6% of the total possible minutes [1,350].
"How can you judge an athlete without enough time for him to demonstrate his worth?"
The Red Devils are 14th in the Premier League table, while Real Betis are sixth in the Spanish top flight after three wins in a row.
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Pedroso believes that the move to La Liga was what was best for Antony and his family.
"It has been an incredible experience for both him and his family," added Pedroso.
"It seems that he has been at Betis for years, so natural has his adaptation been.
"He feels completely comfortable in Seville and is delighted with the city and the club.
"All this reinforces that the decision was absolutely correct.
"La Liga was the ideal destination, Betis is a competitive team, that has a style of play that adapts well to Antony's qualities and an experienced coach like Manuel Pellegrini, who knows how to make the most of attacking players."
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