February 12th 2025.
The recent Champions League match between Manchester City and Real Madrid was filled with excitement and tension, both on and off the pitch. As the two teams walked out to the pitch, City's passionate fans proudly displayed a large banner, poking fun at Madrid and their player Vinicius Jr. It showed Rodri kissing the Ballon d'Or trophy, accompanied by the message "Stop crying your heart out." It was a clear dig at Madrid's reaction to Vinicius Jr losing out to Rodri in the Ballon d'Or race, with the Spanish club boycotting the award ceremony last October.
The banner caused quite a stir, with many finding it amusing, while others deemed it unnecessary and disrespectful. One such person was Jamie Carragher, who called the City fans "ridiculous" for their banner. In an interview with CBS Sports, he expressed his disapproval, stating, "Why would you do that? I know having a laugh and a joke, but what do you gain from that? Even if it's the fans, why annoy people? Why wind someone up?" He also questioned the timing of the banner, suggesting that it would have been more appropriate to display it after the game, if City had emerged as the victors.
Unfortunately for City, things did not go as planned on the pitch either. Despite taking the lead twice, they ultimately lost 3-2 to Madrid, making their path to the knockout phase of the Champions League much more challenging. They now have the daunting task of overturning their 3-2 defeat on aggregate at the Bernabeu next week. If they manage to do so, they will face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the last-16 phase.
As the players prepared for the match, Rodri, the subject of the banner, was seen taking a photo of it. This only added fuel to the fire, with Carragher criticizing the act as well. He stated, "I don't know what you get out of it, what do you gain out of that? It's not funny tonight, is it? I just don't like it." He also drew a comparison to his own playing days, saying that if a Liverpool player had won the Ballon d'Or and they were facing Madrid, it would have annoyed him if the opposing fans had done something similar.
Carragher also had some strong words for Madrid, who he believed acted like "babies" by boycotting the Ballon d'Or ceremony. He stated, "You act like the proper club. Everyone laughed at Real Madrid not going to the Ballon d'Or when it was Vinicius Jr or Ancelotti not picking up the manager of the year, the whole team, that was embarrassing for a club like Real Madrid." He also urged City to show class and not stoop to Madrid's level.
In the end, it was a disappointing night for Manchester City, both on and off the pitch. While their fans may have found the banner amusing, it did not have the desired effect, and in fact, may have motivated Madrid to perform even better. It remains to be seen how the second leg at the Bernabeu will play out, but one thing is for sure, tensions will be high, and the rivalry between these two teams will only continue to grow.
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