Antony completed his return to Real Betis for the 2025-26 season and is now enjoying strong form with the Spanish side. However, his future could have taken a completely different turn, as the Brazilian star revealed the key factors he considered before rejecting a move to Bayern Munich, even after receiving a personal call from head coach Vincent Kompany.
With no place in Ruben Amorim’s project at Manchester United, Antony was forced to leave England in January, where he enjoyed six successful months on loan at Real Betis. The situation repeated itself in the summer transfer window, with Betis pushing to sign him permanently, although his transfer fee and salary remained significant obstacles.
In an interview with GE Globo, Antony revealed the contact he had with Kompany, who attempted to convince him to join the German giants: “Man, I’m going to be straight with you now, 100%. It shook me quite a bit. We’re talking about a world giant, Bayern Munich, where a coach with the career he has calls me. And we have a conversation, he was super respectful with me, said he’s always liked my football, and this was at 11 p.m., 11-something at night.“
While explaining that Kompany’s call came near the end of the transfer window, Antony then shared the factors that led him to turn Bayern down. “And whether you like it or not, it shook me a lot. Because of the size of the club, the stature of the coach, and the way he approached me and talked to me. But what weighed heavily was the family decision too, man. It’s looking at my kids.
Antony of Real Betis celebrates with teammate Cucho Hernandez.
“Lorenzo (Antony’s son) loves this place, loves this city. When we were on vacation in Brazil, without knowing anything, he kept saying: ‘Dad, when are we going back to Spain?,'” Antony said, highlighting how his son influenced his decision to remain in Betis. The Brazilian also emphasized that keeping his word to Betis played a major role in declining not only Bayern’s offer, but any other possibility.
see also
Kylian Mbappe drops Real Madrid hint to Dayot Upamecano as Bayern Munich defender nears free agency
“The decision was also made by me because I’m well here, I’m happy, and I know what my daily life is like. And also because everything was already agreed with the club, because I had given them my word. Everything was verbally settled — I couldn’t do that to myself or to the club. So the decision was very much a family one as well,” Antony concluded.
Antony and the dream of Brazil’s sixth World Cup title
Rejecting Bayern to wait for Real Betis might be seen as a bold move, but since rejoining the club, Antony has rediscovered his best form, becoming the team’s top scorer in the 2025-26 season with six goals and two assists in 11 games. Despite his strong performances, one surprise was his omission from Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for the November international window.
Eager to continue improving and secure a place on Brazil’s roster for the 2026 World Cup, Antony reflected on the 2002 triumph and what lies ahead: “Look, I dream about that a lot. I couldn’t experience it, and unfortunately in the last World Cup we came close against Croatia when we were eliminated. But having a coach like Ancelotti in the national team adds a lot for us, because he’s such a successful manager.“
After featuring in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Real Betis star now has his sights firmly set on the next edition. “Of course I dream of being able to help the Brazilian national team win a World Cup. I’ll keep working to achieve that. And that’s why I’ll always be ready here to fulfill that mission of playing in my second World Cup,” he concluded.
