Vini Jr taunts Man City supporters as Chelsea eliminated from UCL last-16
After Manchester City lost to their former club Real Madrid on Tuesday night, Vinicius Junior sparked a viral reaction by celebrating with the crowd and mocking his opponents' fans during stoppage time following an own goal that sealed victory for Spain's number one player at 2–1 aggregate in this Champions League last-16 tie.
Key Points
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1Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior scored twice and took a penalty as Manchester City lost their last-16 tie in style.
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2"Who's crying now?" became the viral headline after Vini Jr made taunting gestures toward Man City fans following Real's victory on aggregate (5-1).
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3Vinicius defended his actions by stating he was not attempting to disrespect anyone, claiming critics were "making fun of me."
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4"Piangete" (“Cry”) became the specific phrase used in social media captions describing Vini's reaction after a red card and goal.
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5The incident occurred during Tuesday night at Etihad Stadium, where City fans were reportedly left crying over their elimination.
Developments
Vinicius Junior scored twice and celebrated by mimicking crying after Real Madrid defeated Manchester City 2-1 in a Champions League match where he claimed fans were mocking him. He explained that his gesture was not disrespect but an attempt to prove himself following past taunts from the supporters regarding Rodri's Ballon d'Or win, while Alvaro Arbeloa praised Vinicius Jr for winning back-to-back games against City after they lost 5-1 on aggregate last season and were reduced to ten men.
During Tuesday's Champions League match between Real Madrid and Manchester City, Vini Júnior scored three goals (one disallowed) while provoking home fans with gestures such as crying after a penalty kick showing his name on the back of another shirt lift celebration; these actions reignited social media debates by recalling 2025 English fan taunts that included "Stop crying so much."