Manchester United ‘won’t hesitate’ to part ways with Antony if the winger is found guilty of domestic abuse.
That is the view of former Aston Villa and Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore, who has reacted to recent reports concerning United’s number 21, as well as opened up about his own experience with domestic abuse.
Considered one of football’s original ‘bad boys’, Collymore, now 52, has a chequered past including an incident in Paris in 1998 that saw him physically attack then-girlfriend Ulrika Jonsson.
Although very much public, and old news now, Collymore has never shied away from admitting his mistake 25 years ago. In fact, the 52-year-old still experiences the consequences of his actions with fans predictably using the incident to goad him on social media.
What has Stan Collymore said about Antony?
And even though what happened between Collymore and Jonsson is no longer ‘news’, Collymore has likened his personal experience to the concerning reports emerging regarding Manchester United’s Antony.
Widespread reports have confirmed the South American is under investigation for alleged domestic abuse against his ex-girlfriend. The Brazil national team have dropped him while the case remains ongoing, but although United have acknowledged the police’s investigation, the club have yet to take direct action – Collymore thinks the club’s decision, depending on the investigation’s outcome, will be made easy due to other recent scandals though.
“This is obviously a situation I can relate to,” Collymore said in an exclusive interview.
“Back when I was involved in a domestic abuse incident that saw me hit out at Urika Johnson, I was at Aston Villa at the time, and I was immediately recalled to the squad. I wasn’t dropped by the club. But that was a very different time and that doesn’t happen anymore; as we’ve seen recently with Mason Greenwood, and rightly so, may I add.
“It is important to note that any allegations made against Antony at this stage are exactly that; they’re allegations.
“We do not know if the winger is innocent or guilty of the crimes he has been accused of. However, once the ongoing investigation is concluded, if he is deemed to have done what he has been accused of, it is obvious Manchester United will cut ties with him.
“They wouldn’t even need to test the waters in terms of public response. Following what happened with Greenwood recently, when the club were deliberating over whether or not to reinstate him, the backlash confirmed what fans’ thoughts on the situation were, so there would be no hesitation over getting rid of Antony.”
Do you agree with Collymore? – If the investigation involving Antony finds the attacker guilty, should Manchester United get rid of him? – Let us know in the comments below.