Brazil winger Antony has blamed a recent wave of illnesses in the Brazil camp on the air conditioning inside the stadiums at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Several stadiums in Qatar were built with air conditioning systems to tackle the heat during the tournament.
The air conditioning works via a series of nozzles around the edge of the pitch that shoot out cold air at different angles and at different speeds to cover as much of the playing area as possible.
Antony – who was used as a second-half substitute against Serbia and Switzerland – admits he was feeling unwell in the days running up to their fixture with Murat Yakin’s side.
When speaking about his fitness, Antony said to ESPN Brazil: ”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.”
Antony is not the only player who experienced flu-like symptoms. West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson both sat out of training at various points after claiming they felt ill.
