- Manchester City fans attempted to taunt Vinícius Júnior with a banner referencing the Ballon d’Or
- Vinícius responded on the pitch with two assists in Real Madrid’s victory and was awarded the prize Man of The Match
- The Brazilian confirmed he will finalize his contract negotiations and stay at the club
Key Takeaways:
Manchester City fans directed special attention towards Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior ahead of the Champions League clash between the two teams. They attempted to taunt the Brazilian by unveiling a large banner featuring an image of Rodri kissing the Ballon d’Or, accompanied by a well-known lyric from an Oasis song: “Stop Crying Your Heart Out”.
During the match, City supporters chanted, “Where’s your Ballon d’Or?” to which Vinícius responded by pointing to the sleeve of his shirt, where Real Madrid’s 15 Champions League titles are displayed.
🚨OFFICIAL:
Vini wins the MOTM award against City 🤫 pic.twitter.com/gDgJYMWURJ
— Brasil Football 🇧🇷 (@BrasilEdition) February 11, 2025
The Brazilian answered the fans in the best possible way, playing a key role in Real Madrid’s victory. He assisted both the second and third goals for Los Blancos and left the Etihad Stadium with a smile and with the prize for Man of the Match. As is well known, Vinícius and Real Madrid boycotted the Ballon d’Or ceremony after learning that he would not win the award, which was instead given to Rodri.
After the match, Vinícius commented on the City fans’ banner: “I saw it, and it motivated me even more. Whenever opposition fans do things like this, it gives me extra strength to play a great game.”
He continued: “It’s hard to explain what happens with Real Madrid in the Champions League! But you could see that we wanted to win. That’s the mission, that’s the plan. I’m no saint, but sometimes referees don’t protect the players who are fouled. They kick me, and I’m the one who gets booked.”
Regarding a potential move to Saudi Arabia amid recent rumours, Vinícius dismissed the speculation: “Let’s talk about the present. In the next few days, I will finalize my contract negotiations and will stay here for a long time.” He also spoke about his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo: “Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol. He talks to me a lot. I hope to win as many titles as he did at Real Madrid.”