Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior has opened up on the reason behind his ‘stop crying’ goal celebration after finding the net against Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Although the Brazilian missed a penalty in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu against Pep Guardiola’s side, he played a decisive role in the return fixture.
Vinicius scored twice at the Etihad Stadium, helping Madrid eliminate City from the competition with a 5-1 aggregate victory.
He has now explained that the celebration was in response to how City supporters mocked him after he missed out on the 2024 Ballon d’Or to Rodri.
Vinicius said: “The last time we came here, the Manchester City fans (who put up a banner which read ‘Stop crying’ after Rodri won the Ballon d’Or in 2024 ahead of the Brazilian) were making fun of me.
“I wasn’t disrespecting City fans but it was a way for me to prove myself to them.”
