Former Manchester United winger Antony found himself at the centre of another disciplinary storm after appearing to headbutt an opponent during Real Betis' Europa League clash with Utrecht - yet remarkably escaped punishment for the second consecutive match.
Controversial Incident Mars Betis Victory
The flashpoint occurred in the 21st minute of Thursday's group stage encounter between the Spanish side and their Dutch opponents. Antony was chasing a loose ball near the touchline when challenged by Utrecht left-back Souffian El Karouani.
After several previous confrontations between the two players, they contested possession once more, with El Karouani appearing to grab the Brazilian winger. In response, Antony stared at the defender before thrusting his head towards him.
El Karouani collapsed to the ground clutching his head, though ironically the Dutch defender had been linked with a transfer to Real Betis earlier in the week.
VAR Review Fails to Punish Brazilian
Despite the apparent nature of the incident, referee trusted his initial judgement and opted not to show Antony a card. The Video Assistant Referee system reviewed the clash but ultimately cleared the former Manchester United player of any wrongdoing.
Utrecht's frustration intensified when Antony provided the assist for Cucho Hernández to open the scoring, putting Betis on course for victory despite losing their talisman Isco to injury in the first half.
The Spanish side doubled their advantage through Abde Ezzalzouli in the 50th minute, though Utrecht pulled one back with a spectacular Miguel Rodríguez strike from the halfway line. The match finished 2-1, lifting Betis to fifth in the Europa League standings.
Emotional Aftermath and Suspension Woes
Following the final whistle, an emotional Antony lamented news that he'll miss Sunday's Seville derby against rivals Sevilla through suspension. The winger had been sent off in stoppage time during last weekend's 1-1 draw with Girona.
In that incident, Antony was initially shown a yellow card for kicking an opponent in the face during an attempted overhead kick, but the punishment was upgraded to red following VAR intervention.
Real Betis have seen their initial appeal against Antony's three-match ban rejected, prompting the club to take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
'This is a very sad moment for me because I come from a sending off where there was no intention of anything, but well, this week has been very hard,' Antony stated after the match.
'I know there are many games ahead, but I know the importance of this one and I'm leaving a bit sad and angry because I wanted to be there on Sunday, but I'll be with my teammates.'
The Brazilian added: 'For me it's the most important match of the year and not being able to play it is very hard. It's going to be very difficult. It's been a very tough week.'
Antony's absence compounds Betis' selection headaches as they prepare for one of Spanish football's most passionate local derbies.
