MANCHESTER UNITED loanee Antony has been given a charming new nickname at Real Betis – while fans are begging him to stay.
The Brazilian, whose loan spell could be coming to an end, received a raucous reception from Betis supporters after his latest heroics.
Antony played a huge role in Los Verdiblancos making it to the Europa Conference League final, where they face Chelsea.
The winger scored two incredible goals across both legs of Betis’ semi-final triumph against Serie A side Fiorentina.
And Antony was overcome with emotion after the full-time whistle after the LaLiga side reached their first ever European final.
With one of the biggest games in the club’s history coming up, more than a thousand fans gathered at the Benito Villamarin stadium to celebrate with the players.
Chants of “Antony stay!” rang out among supporters as the 25-year-old star was urged to enjoy the moment by his loan team-mates.
Betis and Spain legend Joaquin also revealed on live radio that Antony has been given the nickname “Antonio from Triana”.
Joaquin’s revelation drew laughs from the radio station hosts.
Antonio Triana was the stage name of a famous Seville-born flamenco dancer who transcended Spanish dance.
Joaquin previously joked that he is prepared to “KIDNAP” Antony to stop the winger from returning to Old Trafford.
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The ovation from the fans comes just days after Betis president Angel Haro said the club are trying to keep Antony.
Haro told Spanish outlet Cope: “Keeping Antony is very, very complicated.
“We will have a meeting with United to extend the loan for another year.
“It’s about seeing the predisposition of the player and Manchester United.”
Antony‘s future in Seville is up in the air, with United rejecting a £25m season-long loan deal for next term.
His latest strike took his tally to eight goals and four assists across 21 appearances for Manuel Pellegrini‘s side since joining in January.
The winger’s influence has been a major factor in Betis’ push for European football, as the club currently sit sixth in the table.
It comes as his parent club set up a Europa League final against Tottenham, after beating Betis’ LaLiga rivals Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate.
Antony joined United in 2022 after a whopping £86million deal with Ajax but never lived up to expectations as he only managed a mere total of 12 goals and five assists in 96 appearances.
