Antony raises serious concerns hours before Conference League final vs Chelsea
Brazil star Antony has led Real Betis' complaints about the state of the pitch ahead of the Europa Conference League final.
Manchester United loanee Antony stopped during the open training session at the Stadion Wroclaw in Poland and complained the grass was stuck to his boots and was gesturing as if the ball was bouncing unevenly.
Antony suggested that it would affect his game and slow down his speed, power and quality on the ball, according to a report in Spain.
Workers at the stadium immediately looked at the pitch and began working on it after Real Betis' open training session to suggest there is a problem.
And it could be made worse by the fact that rain is forecast in Wroclaw ahead of the final which kicks off at 9pm local time (8pm in UK).
Chelsea trained later at the stadium but they did a much lighter session, having already gone through their paces back in England at their training ground at Cobham, Surrey before flying to Poland.
Spanish outlet ABC reported that other Betis players complained after taking part in a rondo session and physical exercises done with and without the ball in the stadium.
The stadium - which has a capacity of 45,000 - was built ahead of the Euros in 2012. England played most recently there when they faced Ukraine two years ago in the summer of 2023 in a Euros qualifier, the game ending in a 1-1 draw.
Real Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini has claimed that Antony - on loan from Manchester United - is out for 'revenge' as he looks to prove a point against Chelsea.
Pellegrini said: 'I spoke with him before he came to Betis. He told me that he was not playing because he was not happy. But he has a lot of complaints about what he has done. He wants revenge.
'I think he did it the way we know he can do it. It is not easy for you to pay 100 million for a player. Anthony is a very good player. I am absolutely sure that this is a huge time for him to continue improving his career.'
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