Tuesday, August 10, 2021 at 06:37• Daniel Cabot Kerkdijk • Last update: 06:42

Antony is the only player from Ajax’s selection who did not feel bad about last Saturday. A few hours before the shocking 0-4 defeat against PSV in the battle for the Johan Cruijff Scale, Antony conquered a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo thousands of kilometers away. Partly thanks to an assist from the attacker, Brazil was 2-1 too strong for Spain in the final. He’s still beaming from ear to ear.

For Antony, who started every game in Brazil in the starting lineup, the gold medal is the realization of a dream. “Having successfully represented my country really marks my life now. I feel like I’m still in a dream. The way the final went, the goal in extra time: we fought like lions,” the attacker said on Tuesday. The Telegraph. He received many congratulations on social media. “I received many beautiful messages not only from Brazil, but also from the Netherlands.”

For Antony, his gold medal is ‘a great motivation’. He comes back to Amsterdam stronger. “We played against some great teams at the Olympics. Spain had players who had just played in the European Championship and that makes our achievement all the more impressive. An international tournament like this is a unique experience. And I hope that the season with Ajax will be just as great as the performance in Tokyo.”

Ajax first announced that it did not want to give up Antony to the Olympic Games, but eventually contributed to the attacker’s Olympic dream after a good conversation. “I will never forget this gold medal win for the rest of my life. I am very grateful to Ajax that I was allowed to participate in the Olympic Games,” emphasizes one of the most expensive purchases ever from Ajax. “I think I have represented my club well and they can be proud. This medal is also for them.”

Antony missed Ajax’s complete preparation for the new season. He will fly back to the Netherlands this week. His goal for the new football season is to perform in the Champions League. “I had the chance to play on that podium in my first season and at that very high level I hope to show more and more of myself. The World Cup is also on my priority list. It would be a dream to play for Brazil in Qatar. And I will work hard for that.”