After all, the target of City fans was something else: “Nobody understood…”
Grupo 1894, creators of the banner of Rodri kissing the Ballon d’Or, claim that it was addressed to Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez
After all, the target of the Manchester City fans’ provocation was not Vinícius Júnior . It is true that the banner displayed before the start of the match, which showed Rodri kissing the Ballon d’Or, along with the phrase “Stop crying your heart out”, the title of a famous song by the English band Oasis, which can be translated as “Stop crying”, was not directed at the Brazilian, who came second in the race for the award that rewards the best player in the world.
Now, the day after the match, it is known that the message was actually for… Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid . Confirmation was given by Grupo 1984, author of the banner: «Did no one in the media realise that the person to whom the banner was addressed was not even on the pitch? Florentino Pérez. He was the one who instigated a smear campaign against Rodri and the boycott of the ceremony by his club’s players.»
The message on the banner was not intended for the Brazilian, but the truth is that Vinicius himself admitted that it motivated him, to the point that he was elected MVP of the match. Even though it was intended for the president of Real Madrid , the provocation by Manchester City supporters ended up backfiring.
