06 September 2023 , 21:24
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Manchester United have categorically dismissed claims they attempted to cover up allegations that Antony attacked his ex-girlfriend in a hotel.
Gabriela Cavallin alleges Antony, 23, headbutted and punched her in a hotel room on January 14 of this year, the day after a Premier League game against Manchester City. She claims to have suffered a cut to her head and a damaged breast implant. Antony has issued a statement on social media denying the allegations and confirmed he has given a testimony to police.
Cavallin has now claimed that United despatched a player support officer to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Manchester, where she alleges Antony assaulted her. Her legal team then claim that a club doctor was called to assess her so that she would not visit a public hospital.
In response to the accusations, United have told Mirror Sport: “Any suggestion that the club covered-up these allegations is categorically false.”
It is understood that a member of United’s club staff did arrange for a private doctor to visit the individual. However, it is claimed that there was no indication the injuries were the result of any form of violence, while arranging a doctor for partners and family members of players is a common and standard task.
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United insist they were only made aware of any allegations when they appeared in Brazilian media in June and are waiting for police to establish the facts of the case.
A statement released by the club earlier on Wednesday read: “Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony and notes that the Police are conducting enquiries.
“Pending further information, the club will be making no further comments. As a club, we are taking this matter seriously, with consideration of the impact of these allegations and subsequent reporting will have on survivors of abuse.”
GMP have released a statement on the matter. It reads: " Greater Manchester Police is aware of the allegations made and enquiries remain ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding this report. We will not be commenting any further at this time."
Antony appeared for Man Utd during Sunday's 3-1 defeat at ArsenalBrazil have dropped Antony from their latest squad, but United are set to continue to select him. United are said to have enlisted external expert advice from Women’s Aid and the Professional Footballers’ Association on how to proceed.
Antony insists that he has been "falsely accused" and that his family have "suffered in silence" due to the allegations. He stated he's "never been through a situation similar to this one" and that "justice will prevail" once the case is closed.
Cavallin discussed the alleged incident in January during her interview with UOL. She said: "I don’t remember exactly who the fight was about, but it was someone I had already hooked up with years ago.
"He punched me in the chest and my silicone turned over. And then I came to Brazil to operate. I had to change the prosthesis. He said, ‘I didn’t mean to hurt you, it was accidental, it wasn’t a punch, I just pushed you, I just held you against the wall’."
Regarding a second allegation in May, which Antony also denies, she said: "Antony locked the door of the house and wouldn’t let me go out, and I had my finger open, all hurt. He broke my things, took my passport. His mother and stepfather even trapped him inside the football court, he had a football court inside his living room, surrounded by a fence, like a fence.
"He was upset, trying to get out of the court in any way, throwing a football at me, throwing a cell phone at me. He said he was going to kill me, that he was going to kill himself."
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