Free-kick hero Antony breaks down in tears after Real Betis survive scare to reach Conference League final vs Chelsea
ANTONY broke down in tears after Real Betis reached the Europa Conference League final.
The La Liga side drew 2-2 with Fiorentina in the second leg of their semi-final tie in Florence on Thursday night to win 4-3 on aggregate.
Antony played a huge role in Los Verdiblancos making it to the final, firing them into the lead with a stunning first-half free kick.
And the Brazilian was overcome with emotion after the final whistle.
Tears streamed down the winger’s face after Betis were confirmed as finalists along with Premier League outfit Chelsea.
Reaching the final is the icing on the cake of what has been a remarkable career revival for Antony since he left Manchester United on loan in January.
The former Ajax man has scored eight goals and racked up five assists in 21 appearances since his move.
And his sumptuous free kick past former Red Devil David de Gea was his third goal in as many games.
The 25-year-old is loving life at Betis, saying: ” I always say that the best decision I’ve ever made was coming to Betis.
“I’m happy, and when I’m happy, things go well.
“For me, of course, it’s important to score goals and provide assists, but being happy is even more important.
“I found myself here, I’m very happy here, and things are going very well.”
Antony’s future under new Red Devils gaffer Ruben Amorim – who has guided the club to the Europa League final – is unclear.
“The future? It’s very early,” the former Ajax man admitted. “I don’t know what’s going to happen.
“But I’m very happy here. I’ve found myself enjoying football.
“It’s crazy right now, although I know how talented I am.
“So I prioritised going where I knew I’d be happy, even though I had better offers.”