Antony, Brazilian and Manchester United winger, has blamed his illness on the stadium air conditioning at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Prior to their Group G match against Switzerland on Monday, which they won 1-0, Tite’s team was unwell. Antony and a few other players were consequently prohibited from participating in practice.
Antony claimed that his teammates’ “cough and sore throat” were caused by the stadium’s air conditioning system.
In the days leading up to their matchup with Murat Yakin’s team, Antony, who was utilized as a second-half replacement against Serbia and Switzerland, admitted to feeling under the weather.
The 22-year-old winger said this in an interview with ESPN Brasil: “It was a bit difficult. I ended up having a bad feeling there for a few days that complicated me a bit.”
“I’m recovering well and getting 100 per cent. It was more of a sickness, throat. It was the air conditioning (in the stadiums).”
“Not only me, but other players also had a cough and a bad throat.”
“‘It’s very difficult for me to get sick, but I’m happy to be an important part of the team. Whenever you need Antony, I’m available.”
Not just Antony but several other athletes displayed flu-like symptoms. Lucas Paqueta of West Ham and Alisson, the goalie for Liverpool, both excused themselves from practice at various moments because they felt sick.
There are huge air vents at the top of the stands and under-seat nozzles in each of the eight stadiums being utilized for the World Cup in Qatar.
The decision to install air conditioning in the stadiums was made in response to complaints about the Gulf state’s sweltering heat, even during the winter.
The event organizers decided that it would be crucial to keep the competitors cool throughout the competition given that it can be as hot as 50C (122F).
However, both the players and the spectators believe that too much frigid air was pumped in.
On Friday at 7 p.m. (UK time), Brazil will play Cameroon in their last Group G match; the Selecao needs just a point to win the group.
Antony
Brazilian professional footballer Antony Matheus dos Santos, also known as Antony, was born on February 24, 2000. He plays as a winger for Premier League team Manchester United and the Brazil national team.
After graduating from the So Paulo academy, Antony made his professional club debut in 2018.
In the summer of 2020, he relocated to Ajax, where he played for two seasons and won two Eredivisie championships and a KNVB Cup. Due to Antony’s success in the Netherlands, Manchester United paid the highest amount ever for an Eredivisie player: €95 million (£82 million).
At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Antony won a gold medal with the Brazil under-23 squad.
After scoring against Venezuela in his senior international debut in October 2021, he went on to play for Brazil at the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
Is Qatar World Cup The Best So Far?
Among the most stunning stadiums in the world are in now located in Qatar thanks to the World Cup.
The skyscrapers in Qatar are covered in enormous banners depicting the World Cup’s biggest stars, and the beachfront is dazzling.
In the gulf country, soccer fans swarm around large screens all across the city to watch matches on the Doha waterfront or at the affluent Pearl Marina.
The 32 participating teams in this year’s World Cup have draped their national flags over the streets, and eateries are crowded. The fan zone, where Colombian singer Maluma had a performance the night before the first game, is also open.
A winning squad was the only thing that was lacking.
Only the second host nation to be ousted from a group in World Cup history, Qatar was the first host nation to lose its opening game.
In 2010, South Africa was the first team to lose in the group stage but still had a chance to advance in its third and final group game.
Qatar is not. This time, the host nation was eliminated after just two games after losing to Ecuador 2-0 and Senegal 3-1, rendering Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Netherlands meaningless even before the game started.
