Vinicius Junior is unlikely to be granted honorary citizenship in Manchester anytime soon. On Tuesday, the Real star continued his ongoing feud with the Skyblues’ supporters.
After scoring against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, Real Madrid’s superstar Vinicius Junior openly provoked the home crowd.
In the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, a clash between two perennial CL rivals, the Brazilian converted a penalty in the 22nd minute. He then celebrated, initially grinning by the corner flag, before rubbing his clenched fists in front of his face and making a ‘crying’ gesture towards the City fans, eventually turning away laughing.
This gesture, however, has a deeper backstory. Vinicius apparently alluded with his action to the mocking reception from Manchester fans during Real’s visit in February 2024 (date corrected from original). At that time, a massive banner was unfurled in the fan section, showing City midfielder Rodri kissing his Ballon d’Or. Next to it, in a clear reference to an Oasis song lyric and seemingly aimed at Vinicius, it read: ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out.’
Vinicius had publicly complained vigorously after losing to Rodri at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony. His club even canceled participation in the event in Paris when it became clear that the left-winger would lose out to Rodri.
Vinicius Junior Scores Again from the Spot Against Manchester City
In this season’s playoff first leg, Vinicius scored spectacularly at the Estadio da Luz and subsequently danced provocatively in front of the Benfica fans’ curve. This action was not well-received everywhere and served as a precursor to the racism scandal surrounding alleged insults by Lisbon’s Argentine player Gianluca Prestianni.
On Tuesday evening, Vinicius found the net from the penalty spot in Manchester, having missed from the same position in the first leg. The penalty was awarded due to a clear handball by City captain Bernardo Silva close to the goal line, which also led to the Portuguese player’s dismissal. Vinicius remained unfazed by a lengthy VAR review for a possible offside position, sent Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way, and netted low into the right corner.
Following the clear 3-0 victory in the first leg, the opening goal combined with Silva’s red card seemed to seal an early decision for the Blancos, though they had to concede an equalizer from Erling Haaland before half-time.
In the final phase, Vinicius added the finishing touches. The attacker scored two more goals, although the first one was disallowed. After the disallowed goal, he seized the opportunity to celebrate his next one again in front of the opposing fans, demonstratively pointing to his name on the back of his shirt. Several teammates and even referee Clement Turpin gently urged him to move away from the corner of the pitch.
Real Madrid’s Record Transfers:
| Player | Fee |
| Jude Bellingham | Joined in 2023 for 127 million Euros from Borussia Dortmund |
| Eden Hazard | Joined in 2019 for 120.8 million Euros from FC Chelsea |
| Gareth Bale | Joined in 2013 for 101 million Euros from Tottenham Hotspur |