Real Madrid sources are furious after hearing of Antony’s red card for Real Betis being overturned.
Antony’s injury-time dismissal in victory over Getafe on the weekend has been rescinded upon appeal. It means the on-loan Manchester United winger is available for Saturday’s clash with Real Madrid.
Real learned of the ruling when the squad and staff touched down in San Sebastian for tonight’s Copa del Rey semifinal first-leg clash with Real Sociedad.
And given the ban handed to Jude Bellingham for verbally abusing ref Jose Luis Munuera Montero, the Antony decision has left Real Madrid chiefs furious.
A source said: “It can’t be, in their eagerness to go hunting against Madrid they are even skipping the legal arguments. Removing a red card that has been clearly assessed by the refereeing body and well explained in the report is as if the referees from now on are going to re-referee the matches.
“They don’t hold back, they have done it with the desire to hurt us. They have declared war on us and used all imaginable means, even if they expose the very referees that they claim to defend so much. We can imagine how Alberola Rojas must feel. Shameful.
“In 24 hours we have witnessed what we can call a hunt for everything that smells of Real Madrid. First they set us an awful time for the game against Villarreal so that we have less rest than Barça and Atleti and thus favour a bad result there; then (Javier) Tebas loses respect for our coach who is a blessing, respected by everyone except the president of the Liga and vice president of the Federation; and now, the thing with Antony.
“They attack us by land, sea and air. They don’t hold back. Even so, we will fight to the end with pride. We will not bow our heads in the face of such foolishness.”