Vinicius Jr. responded in a chilly manner to the fans who were making fun of him during Real Madrid’s 3-2 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League play-off.
Vini Jr., who is 24 years old, was the focus of media attention prior to the match because of the chaos that ensued after he finished in second place in the competition for the Ballon d’Or in October of 2024.
It is possible that you are aware that the Brazilian appeared to be the most likely recipient of the award; however, the results revealed that Rodri was, in fact, the winner of the competition.
A question was posed to Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Madrid, earlier this week regarding the club’s decision to abstain from attending the ceremony.
It was Ancelotti who stated, “I do not believe that it was the wrong decision.”
In our opinion, Vini was the most deserving recipient of the Ballon d’Or. Despite the fact that Rodri is an outstanding player, this does not imply that we do not respect him. In the previous year, I believe that Rodri was deserving of the victory.
Pep Guardiola, on the other hand, did not show any willingness to criticise Madrid and instead provided a diplomatic response when he was asked this question.
“I was happy for Rodri, but Vinicius made an extraordinary year as well,” he stated to reporters. The possibility exists that he is deserving of it, just as it was in the past when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were competing for it. We can now move on from this topic.”
However, prior to the game on Tuesday, City supporters displayed a banner that featured an image of Rodri kissing the Ballon d’Or and the words “Stop crying your heart out” emblazoned on it. This banner appeared to be a dig at Madrid and Vini Jr.
Rodri was even impressed, as evidenced by the fact that he was seen filming from the stands.
Vini Jr., however, was ultimately the one who had the last laugh as his team scored two goals in the final minutes of the game to take a one-goal lead into the second leg that will take place the following Wednesday.
Throughout the entirety of the match, the supporters of the home team began chanting, “Where’s your Ballon d’Or?” in an attempt to provoke the forward.
The video of the Brazil international pointing to the Champions League emblem that was on the sleeve of Madrid’s shirt has been uploaded to the internet. The number 15 on the emblem represents the number of titles that the club has won. Now, the player has expressed his opinion regarding the banner.
“I saw the banner that was made by fans of Manchester City… after the game, Vinicius stated, “and it motivated me even more than I already was.”
It gives me more strength to play a great game whenever I see things that are done by fans of the opposing team.
In addition, Ancelotti, who is 65 years old, offered his opinion.
He asked, “Is that the Rodri Ballon d’Or banner?” I am not sure if Vini witnessed that, but judging by the game, if he did witness it, it appeared to be a significant source of motivation for him.
