Drama on Etihad Stadium: Vinicious doesn’t forget

According to Fabrizio Romano in a post on X, the Real Madrid forward’s reaction came after a long-running exchange that began with a banner displayed by City fans during the 2024/25 season.

Earlier taunt from Manchester City fans

According to Romano, Manchester City supporters had previously unveiled a banner depicting Vinicius Jr in tears following Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win.

The image circulated widely at the time and was seen as a pointed jab at the Real Madrid winger. Romano suggested the moment lingered in the background heading into the latest meeting between the two sides.

Vinicius Jr’s celebration draws attention

In the decisive phase of the match, Vinicius Jr played a key role in shaping the outcome. According to Romano, he then made a gesture mimicking crying before signaling toward the crowd.

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Romano described it as a “cry, cry” celebration, while also noting that the forward appeared to gesture for silence in the stands.

Gesture seen as response to earlier moment

The celebration was widely interpreted as a callback to the earlier banner displayed by Manchester City fans.

According to Romano, the sequence framed the reaction as a personal response, with Vinicius Jr appearing to acknowledge the previous mockery after helping decide the match.

Celebration adds narrative to rivalry

Beyond the result itself, the moment added another layer to the growing tension between the player and sections of the opposition support.

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According to Romano, the celebration and subsequent reaction from the crowd turned the incident into one of the defining talking points from the match.

Sources: Fabrizio Romano, X

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