Man City fans have unveiled a tifo in honour of Rodri as the players walked out for the big clash against Real Madrid. The tifo takes a swipe at Vinicius Junior, who missed out, despite many seeing him as the favourite of the coveted Ballon d'Or trophy.
As the teams walked out to take the field, Man City fans greeted the two sets of players with a tifo. The tifo read “Stop crying your heart out” and featured City player Rodri kissing his Ballon d'Or trophy.
While it was a general dig at Real Madrid, its players, and fans, it was a particular shot at Vinicius Junior, who thought he was robbed of the prize.
Man City fans held up a tifo saying “Stop crying your heart out” with Rodri kissing the Ballon d'Or trophy ahead of their UCL match vs. Real Madrid 🏆
Rodri made sure to record the moment 🤳 pic.twitter.com/wfUGXF21LO
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 11, 2025
Man City fans take a shot at Vinicius Junior
Man City fans might not be ones known for tifos or particularly good banter, but this latest tifo unveil was undoubtedly well thought out.
Vinicius Junior was one of the favourites to win the trophy, having helped Real Madrid to a Champions League and La Liga double. However, it was City's Rodri who would claim the prize. However, Vinicius did not take defeat well, as he refused to attend the celebration.
While the banner wasn't popular with Real Madrid, Rodri himself was a fan. The cameras caught him taking a picture of the tifo.
Madrid manager, Ancelotti, had his say on the Ballon d'Or situation prior to the game. “I don't think it was the wrong decision, We thought Vini was the winner of the Ballon d'Or. It doesn't mean we don't respect Rodri because he is a fantastic player. I think Rodri deserved to win it the year before. I was happy for Rodri, but Vinicius also had an extraordinary year.”
FGG says: A playful dig
Let's be honest, it's a great tifo. We don't see enough of them in England, so it's good to see more clubs from the Premier League embrace it. City might regret it in a week's time, however, as we'll likely see Madrid fans do something in retaliation. Let's hope that, for City's sake, they win the tie, or they might have a “stay humble” situation in their hands from Madrid fans.