Manchester United star Antony has been officially dropped from the Brazil squad for this international break after fresh allegations of domestic assault have been levelled at the player, and both Brazilian and Greater Manchester Police are now said to be investigating the claims.
Antony had already been accused of domestic abuse and acts physical of assault by his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin earlier this year, but the 23-year-old insisted that there was no truth to these claims, assuring that his “innocence will be proven” following an investigation back in his home country.
However, following fresh allegations and evidence reportedly coming to light, Brazil’s national team have decided to drop the Man United winger from the squad until the matter is resolved.
Issuing a statement on Monday 4 September, they wrote: “As a result of the facts that have come to light, and which need to be investigated, and in order to safeguard the supposed victim, the player, and the Brazilian national team the CBF have withdrawn [him] from the squad.”
🚨🎙️ | CBF statement:
"In light of the facts which came to light on Monday (04/09) concerning #mufc player Antony, which must be investigated, and in order to safeguard the alleged victim, the player, the Brazilian national team and the CBF, the organization informs that the… pic.twitter.com/EOcKhTS4ce
Brazil’s official statement confirming why Antony has been dropped.
Responding the further allegations published in Brazilian outlet UOL on Monday, Ms Cavallin provided access to videos, images and messages that corroborate her claims – which are said to include throwing a glass which result in “cutting her fingers to the bone”.
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The 22-year-old also went on to expand on a previous allegation made on TV in more detail. “I don’t remember exactly who the fight was about, but it was someone I had been with years ago”, said Cavallin. “He punched me in the chest and my silicone turned over”, adding that she required surgery and that Antony responded by stating, “I didn’t mean to hurt you, it was accidental, it wasn’t a punch; I just pushed you and held you against the wall”.
Following this latest report, Antony has once again come out to deny the claims in a statement on social media, writing: “Out of respect for my fans, friends and family, I feel obligated to speak publicly about the false allegations I have been a victim of. From the beginning I have handled this issue seriously with respect, providing due clarifications to authorities.
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“The police inquest is still ongoing, therefore, I cannot make the content public. However, I can say with confidence that the accusations are false and that the evidence already produced and more to be produced show that I am innocent of the accusations made”.
Antony’s response to the fresh assault allegations.
He goes on to insist that his relationship with the DJ and influencer “was tumultuous, with verbal offence from both sides”, but that he “never practiced any physical aggression”.
Prior to this most recent report in Brazilian media, when asked if Antony’s allegations were of concern to him at the time, Man United manager Erik ten Hag simply replied, “No”, adding that “the outcome in Brazil was clear” and that their focus is “on football and on performing.”
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To make matters worse, with this fresh scandal coming just a couple weeks after United finally parted ways with Mason Greenwood following his own allegations of assault and attempted rape, many are piling pressure on the club to make a clear stance against domestic abuse.
Whether things will progress to the point that Antony is not just dropped, but suspended and/or removed from the squad entirely as the case carries on, remains to be seen.
A documentary about Manchester’s famous homeless charity run has just dropped on YouTube
Danny Jones
An award-winning, short, and completely free documentary about Manchester’s famous annual homeless charity run is now available to watch in its entirety on YouTube.
Following a number of short snippets and teasers shared on social media over the last few months, the mini-doc by local moviemaker Gigi Shum was finally released on the streaming platform this past June.
Documenting not only the backstory of the inspiring Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness – now a much-loved annual tradition that has since spread to multiple other locations – it also gives a peek behind the curtain at those who organise it and the thousands of inspirational participants.
You can watch one of the most recent trailers here.
Capturing the sixth edition of the consecutive relay run, which spans the length of an entire day (which was another record-breaking year before being smashed in November 2025), Shum didn’t shy away from getting some laps done herself, but she also managed to shoot a truly important public access film.
A trail runner herself with a number of other works to her name already, including a well-supported Kickstarter revolving around neurodiversity, Gigi prides herself on “exploring the neglected truth in the world” through touching tales like The 24 Hour Run.
The adopted Manc and MetFilm School graduate’s roots may hail from Hong Kong, but she’s well and truly immersed and embedded herself in the Greater Manchester community through spotlighting local initiatives like this.
More importantly, this is much more than a student project: the bitesize 21:22 picture has been nominated and won at numerous festivals across the globe, including shortlists like the Florence Film Awards, a finalist in both the Independent Shorts and LEEDSflix competitions, among several others.
Aside from the obvious humanitarian and charitable angle of The 24 Hour Run‘s narrative, the talking heads with members of the team and numerous inspiring runners taking on incredible challenges on behalf of the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme make you proud to be from this part of the world.
You can watch it in full down below.
About the same run-time as most sitcom episodes – we’d argue this is a well more worthwhile watch.
Deeply moving stuff, we’re sure you’ll agree.
Speaking after a limited number of exclusive screenings, Gigi told The Manc: “What began as a question about why people run through the night transformed into an exploratory journey of human resilience, community, and active compassion on the streets of Manchester.”
It’s also worth mentioning that the young director and producer is doing lots more to contribute to the region, helping out as part of the Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN), supporting asylum seekers who may otherwise end up sleeping rough themselves.
They’ve raised hundreds of thousands for the likes of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity since the event’s inception back in 2019. Mayor Andy Burnham himself may be looking toward no.10 Downing Street moving forward, but fundraising on behalf of this organisation will always be a part of his legacy.
Better still, this dedicated crew of volunteers have also generated vital funds for similar causes in the likes of Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Hereford, and soon to be even more.
Set to debut in Liverpool later this year, another city renowned for backing themselves and looking after their own, we can’t wait to see how much more impact they make on the North West.
Featured Images — The MCR 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness (supplied)
Sport
Government grants pubs permission to stay open until 5am for England’s next World Cup match
Emily Sergeant
Pubs across the country are being granted permission to stay open until the early hours of the morning on Sunday.
As England’s World Cup journey continues, the Three Lions are set to face Mexico in a Round of 16 knock-out match at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday night, but due to time differences between the two countries, this means that kick-off will be at 1am GMT here – a time when pubs are closed, and let’s face it, a lot of us are already in bed ready for work the next day.
But, in what is set to be a big ‘boost’ for pubs and bars – and football fans – nationwide, the Government has given permission for alcohol licensing hours to be extended for Sunday night’s match.
The Home Secretary has the legislative power to extend licensing hours on occasions of ‘exceptional international, national or local significance’, so this change removes the need for individual premises to apply for extended hours.
This extension to 5am adds to the already-granted extensions for England’s knock-out games that kicked off up until 10pm.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed is set to write to Council leaders across the country to inform them of these changes.
“Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an emphatic statement.
Pubs are allowed to stay open until 5am on Sunday / Credit: Road to Victory | We Are Football (Supplied)
“Pubs staying open until the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together. The whole country will be backing the team. Come on England.”
Michael Kill, who is the CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), said the extension is ‘fantastic news’ that will be ‘hugely welcomed’ by operators.
He continued: ““This pragmatic approach allows venues to focus on what matters most – bringing communities together to support the national team.
Danny Jones -
5th September 2023 
