Vinicius Junior said his “crying” celebration against “Manchester City” was aimed at supporters who mocked him over the 2024 Ballon d’Or result. The “Real Madrid” forward said he wanted to answer the taunts after helping his side take firm control of the Champions League tie. Reports Goal.com.
The Brazilian opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Bernardo Silva handled the ball on the line and was sent off. After converting, Vinicius first gestured toward the crowd and then copied a crying motion, which quickly angered home fans at the Etihad Stadium.
After the match, Vinicius explained that the reaction came from his previous experience in Manchester, when some supporters joked about his second-place finish behind Rodri in the Ballon d’Or voting. He said the gesture was not meant as general disrespect, but as a way to respond and prove himself on a big stage.
The goal added to Vinicius’ strong record against “Manchester City”, with the winger now directly involved in eight goals against Pep Guardiola’s side in the Champions League. Only Lionel Messi has managed more against the English club in the competition.
Guardiola admitted the contest became extremely difficult once his team fell further behind and went down to 10 men. Even so, he defended his squad, saying “Manchester City” remain an outstanding team and that difficult nights should be treated as lessons rather than signs of collapse.
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