DESPITE supporting Man United for years, Rachel Riley has been taking a stand against the club over Antony and Mason Greenwood.
The Countdown co-host, 37, has called for domestic abuse experts to be involved in "club processes" after £85million winger Antony was accused of assaulting ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin.
Rachel has advocated for survivors for years, using her huge platform to campaign for more awareness and tougher laws.
She said it was "heartbreaking" that "domestic abuse is so universally misunderstood".
In her own life, the presenter was once inundated with online death threats and violent messages from a man – who was later sectioned and given a five-year restraining order.
The man subjected her to more than 500 terrifying threats of abuse – prompting Rachel to use her voice to stand up for other women in similar situations.
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After her own harrowing experience, she has called for more to be done to protect victims – and stepped up to support charities and campaigners.
Back in 2020, Rachel revealed she had come to the aid of a pal facing domestic violence during the Covid lockdown.
She also praised the work of Woman’s Trust, a London-based therapy and counselling charity for women who have experienced domestic abuse.
She told The Mirror: "I’ve been supporting a friend who I didn’t know was in a situation of domestic violence for some years.
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"It’s been so hard for women in her situation, without direct access to support services.
"People are trapped at home, the kids aren’t at school and police and social services are running a limited service.
"These campaigners do an incredible job, they’ve often had similar experiences and their own stories are hard to listen to."
After allegations came to light against United's Antony, the mum-of-two has spoken out again.
She called for the club to stop "green-lighting abuse".
Antony is currently being investigated by cops in both Manchester and Sao Paulo – and was axed from the Brazil national team for their World Cup qualifiers this month.
He will not return to train with the club after the domestic violence allegations by his ex Cavallin.
Gabriela led calls for the player to be dropped from the squad in an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday.
She alleges she was verbally and physically abused by the footballer, claiming he left her with a sliced finger and attacked her while she was pregnant.
Riley wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Is anyone doing any due diligence on these players? Heinous stuff described in these accusations.
"This time domestic abuse experts need to be involved in the club’s processes."
Antony strongly denies all allegations against him.
He's vowed to clear his name in a statement released by the club.
Rachel's intervention on Antony comes after she was outspoken against United reintegrating Greenwood into the squad before his move to Getafe.
She slammed the team's handling of the case following his arrest for assault, attempted rape and coercive control.
The Crown Prosecution Service chose not to proceed with the case against him but the club carried out their own probe into the claims.
Last month, Man United released a statement saying Greenwood had left the club under "mutual agreement".
Rachel shared two images – one of her as a baby with a United teddy and a second with her two children wearing official kits.
She said the decision to get rid of Greenwood was "right" but the statement released was "horrendous".
And the lifelong Red Devils supporter accused the club of handling the Greenwood saga "appallingly" – and previously vowed to stop supporting Man United if they allowed the forward to return.
Rachel added: "I’ve been a red since before I was born, I’ve passed it on to my baby girls and some of the all time best times of my life have been working with, and cheering on Man United, so I write with such a heavy heart – as a club we’ve handled this appallingly."
She praised a "great statement" released by Women's Aid after the club revealed their decision.
Women's charities welcomed the decision to deny Greenwood a comeback and said survivors would have felt "relief".
But they warned football clubs need to be better at dealing with similar cases and allegations about players' behaviour.
The announcement on Greenwood brought an end to a 19-month saga for Utd after Greenwood’s arrest last January.
He was at the centre of a five month investigation by bosses despite the charges already being dropped against him in February.
The team said Greenwood "did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged" after carrying out a probe.
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Greenwood also released a statement where he insisted he had not done what he was accused of but was “learning to understand my responsibilities as a professional footballer”.
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
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