Vinicius Jr has revealed that his provocative goal celebration towards Manchester City fans on Tuesday night was a response to being mocked during last season's encounter. The Brazilian scored twice as Real Madrid cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-1 win on the night and a 5-1 aggregate victory.
After seeing a stoppage-time goal ruled out by VAR, Vinicius turned to the City fans and flaunted the name on the back of his shirt. He then scored a second goal in the dying seconds. Speaking to Prime Video, he said: 'The last time I came to Man City, they were making fun of me and saying I was crying because of the Ballon d’Or – it was a way of proving myself to the Man City fans.'
The taunts referred to a banner displayed by City supporters last year, showing midfielder Rodri kissing the Ballon d'Or trophy with the message 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out'. That night, Madrid won 3-2 and progressed to the next round. Vinicius, a two-time Champions League winner, added: 'We weren't under pressure; we knew we still had work to go.'
