GO WITH THE FLO
‘Did no one notice?’ – Man City fans reveal Rodri Ballon d’Or banner was NOT aimed at Vinicius Jr
The intended target of the tifo was in the Etihad on Tuesday
A MANCHESTER CITY fan group have claimed Tuesday's Ballon d'Or banner was NOT aimed at Vinicius Jr.
The group unfurled the tifo prior to City's Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday.
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Rodri won the prestigious gong last year shortly after going down with a serious ACL injury.
Vinicius and Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony, believing the Brazilian to be the rightful winner.
The banner at Tuesday's game showed a picture of Rodri kissing his Ballon d’Or trophy.
It was accompanied by the words: "Stop crying your heart out."
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Most had assumed the banner was a direct jibe at Vinicius, who started for Madrid in the clash.
The Brazilian admitted after his side's dramatic 3-2 win he "had seen" the tifo pre-match.
But 1894 fan group claim Madrid president Florentino Perez - who was in the stands at the Etihad - was actually the intended target.
The group wrote on X: "Nobody in the media actually realised that the person the banner targeted was not even on the pitch?
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"Florentino Perez. It’s him who instigated a slur campaign against Rodri & boycott of the ceremony by his clubs’ players.
"Point needed making whatever the result of the game."
Man City boss Pep Guardiola responds to late collapse to Real Madrid
It proved a night to forget for City, who threw away a 2-1 lead with minutes to go at the Etihad.
They now face an uphill battle to qualify for the last-16 of the tournament, with the second leg at the Bernabeu on February 19.
Following the victory, Vinicius said: "I saw the banner.
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"Whenever the opposing fans do things like that they give me more strength to have a great game and here I have done it.
"They know our history, everything we do in this competition.
“It is the fifth time we come here, it is always very cold, but this time we have won and we have to continue this."
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