Antony (25, Real Betis) shed tears after losing in the UEFA Europa Conference League final. He then mentioned his uncertainty about the future ahead of his return to Manchester United (Man U).

Antony started in the match against Chelsea in the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) final held at the municipal stadium in Wroclaw, Poland on the 29th (Korean time) and played the full time.

However, Antony remained silent, and his team Real Betis had to settle for being the runners-up after losing 1-4 to Chelsea. Antony was expected to bring home the trophy from a UEFA-organized tournament final in the history of Real Betis, but he was unable to achieve that.

In the summer of 2022, Antony moved from Ajax to Man U for a hefty transfer fee of 100 million euros (approximately 155.5 billion won). However, at Man U, Antony faced criticism from fans for his poor performance, ultimately leading to his loan transfer to Real Betis in January this year.

Determined to bounce back, Antony revived his career on the Spanish stage. He scored only 12 goals and provided 5 assists in 96 matches at Man U, but in a total of 26 matches for Real Betis, he registered 9 goals and 5 assists.

With Antony's performance, Real Betis rose to 6th place (60 points) and secured a spot in European competitions for the next season. Antony also received positive evaluations for improving from his abysmal performance during his time at Man U.

However, Antony did not show significant contributions in his final match with Real Betis. Consequently, he seems to be contemplating his future as he has to return to Man U. Manager Ruben Amorim has already excluded Antony from his plans.

After the final whistle, Antony collapsed while crying profusely. Then, his fellow loan player from Man U, Jadon Sancho (25, Chelsea), approached to comfort him.

Antony, who is from Brazil, stated in an interview with CBS Sports after the match, "I don't know what will happen in the future. Only God knows," and added, "I focused on the game. I love Real Betis and everyone, but I have a contract with Man U."

He continued, "Now I plan to join the national team and then take a vacation," and expressed regret, saying, "After that, I will see what happens. I'm happy here, but I am under contract."

When questioned earlier about his life at Real Betis, Antony confessed, "I went through a dark time at Man U. I didn't even have the energy to play with my son and sometimes starved for days while holed up in my room," adding that "I became happy again after coming to Real Betis."

Manuel Pellegrini, the manager of Real Betis, wants to fully sign Antony. However, the transfer fee of £30 million to £35 million (approximately 55.8 billion to 65.1 billion won) is a barrier. Other clubs are also showing interest in Antony.

Meanwhile, Chelsea became the first club to win all five major UEFA tournaments (Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Cup Winners' Cup, Super Cup) with this victory.

After the match, Antony said, "It was a self-destructive game for us. The first half was good, but we couldn't even possess the ball properly in the second half," and lamented, "We collapsed in our concentration. We must not forget that the game is played for 90 minutes."

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