Vinicius Junior Explains Manchester City Celebration: "They Provoked Me Last Season"

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior played a pivotal role in their Champions League second-leg encounter against Manchester City, netting both goals to secure a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory for Los Blancos. The Brazilian seized this moment to address past provocations from the previous season.

After converting his first-half penalty – which came after his initial shot struck the post and a subsequent attempt was blocked on the line by Bernardo Silva – Vinicius headed to the corner to celebrate. Surrounded by his teammates as they regrouped, Vinicius was observed making a 'crying' gesture with his hands, then turning his back to the crowd and putting his fingers in his ears.

This celebration recalled a previous meeting between the two clubs last season at the Etihad Stadium. During that match, Manchester City supporters displayed a banner featuring Rodri Hernandez kissing his Ballon d'Or trophy, accompanied by the text 'Stop crying your heart out'. This referenced the well-known fact that Vinicius and Real Madrid did not attend the awards ceremony after learning he would not be the recipient.

"They Provoked, I Responded with a Necessary Celebration"

Following the match, Vinicius was questioned about his celebration, confirming it was indeed a response to last season's banner.

"Football is a long game, and they provoked me last season. I was able to perform the celebration I felt was appropriate," he explained to Movistar+, as quoted by Marca. Later, speaking with CBS Golazo, Vinicius clarified that his actions were not intended as disrespect.

"It wasn't disrespectful towards them, but rather a way for me to assert myself to the fanbase."

Vinicius on Real Madrid's Triumph

Commenting more broadly on his team's performance, Vinicius highlighted the significance of eliminating a formidable opponent like Manchester City while maintaining control throughout the tie.

"This was a crucial match for our confidence. We've had several strong performances since the season began, but we haven't controlled a game as effectively as we did in this tie. It was an extremely tough match against an excellent team with a superb coach. They maintain significant possession, but we understood the need to work diligently and capitalize on our opportunities, even though I squandered many."

Real Madrid is set to host Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby on Sunday night, aiming to sustain their title challenge. In the Champions League quarter-finals, they will face either Bayern Munich or Atalanta.