'He has not surprised me' - Real Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini says he never doubted Manchester United loanee Antony
Updated 26/05/2025 at 12:09 GMT+1
Antony struggled to find his feet at Manchester United, but the Brazilian winger has rediscovered his form since joining Spanish side Real Betis on loan. His manager Manuel Pellegrini insists he never doubted the winger's quality despite his troubles at Old Trafford. Betis will face Premier League giants Chelsea in the final of the UEFA Conference League on Wednesday.
Pellegrini: Chelsea have bigger budget but I don’t feel they are favourites
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Manuel Pellegrini believes Antony was not to blame for his disappointing performances at Manchester United and insists that he did not doubt the forward's quality ahead of his loan move to Real Betis.
The Brazilian winger joined the Spanish side on loan until the end of the campaign in January after an underwhelming two-and-a-half years at Old Trafford.
However, he has found his form since arriving at the Benito Villamarin Stadium, guiding his new side to the final of the UEFA Conference League, which will be shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Antony has scored eight goals and registered five assists since joining Betis, and Pellegrini says that he has not been surprised to see the 25-year-old shine in Seville.
"He has not surprised me because I knew him before from England," said the former Manchester City, Real Madrid and West Ham manager.
"Also, when you buy a player for that amount of money it is not always because you made a mistake.
"Maybe there are some reasons why Antony could not play the way he knows at Manchester United, but that is another thing.
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'Transformed' Antony has been a 'runaway success' at Betis
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"When he arrived here he looked assured in the way we play and confident in his game, so I thought he would be an important player."
Antony is not the only big name who has starred on Betis' route to the final of the Conference League.
Former Real Madrid and Spain midfielder Isco won five UEFA Champions Leagues with Los Blancos, but struggled after leaving for Sevilla in 2022.
However, after terminating his contract with Los Rojiblancos, he joined Betis and has not looked back.
Pellegrini believes the 33-year-old was out for revenge after a difficult few years in La Liga.
"I don't like to talk about me, but there are a lot of players in our team that have had good performances with us," said Pellegrini.
"Isco is another thing because I signed him when he was only 19-years-old in Malaga, and he had only played just one game in the first division.
"I spoke to him for five minutes on the phone, and I was absolutely sure that he wanted revenge.
"He is a player who played for eight years at Real Madrid and who has five UEFA Champions Leagues, so his quality as a player, I did not have any doubt."
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Antony fires free-kick past De Gea as Betis strike first in Italy
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Enzo Maresca will manage Chelsea when the Premier League giants take on Betis in the Conference League final on Wednesday.
The Italian played under Pellegrini during his time at Malaga before joining his coaching staff at West Ham.
Pellegrini admits the two are friends off the pitch, but insists that their close relationship will not be the defining factor in who wins the Conference League final.
"We have a very good relationship as friends," he added.
"He worked with me at Malaga as a player, during the final part of his career.
"When I went to West Ham I thought I would be a good reference if he worked with me because I know the way he works and the way he thinks, so he worked with me at West Ham for two years.
"We also have a relationship off of the pitch, so, of course, I think that he knows a lot of what we are going to do against them, but also I know the way that Chelsea play.
"That is not the action that will define the final, it is the performance of the players in the game that will decide which team wins the cup."
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