Liverpool legend slams Man City fans for mocking Real Madrid with Ballon d’Or banner – ‘Not funny’ | OneFootball

The first leg of the Champions League playoff between Manchester City and Real Madrid created one of the most talked-about moments of the season.

A massive banner displayed by City fans showed an image of Rodri kissing the Ballon d’Or trophy, accompanied by a line from an Oasis song that read “Stop crying.” This visual quickly went viral, gaining widespread attention across the football world.

Carlo Ancelotti and Vinicius Jr. acknowledged the banner and suggested that it served as extra motivation for the Brazilian winger. However, the organisers of this tifo later clarified that it was not meant to target Vinicius but was instead directed at Florentino Perez.

Carragher lashes out

One of the strongest critics of this banner was former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher. He did not hold back in his assessment, labelling the gesture as unnecessary and ill-timed.

He questioned why City fans would choose to provoke their opponents before the tie was decided rather than waiting until after securing a victory.

He suggested that such actions could serve as motivation for Real Madrid rather than being a source of amusement for City supporters.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous. Why do you want to do that? I know about the laughs, the jokes… But what do you gain? Even if they are the fans.

Why bother people? Do it at the end if you have won and you have eliminated them. “Why do you get into that? I don’t know what they gain from that. It’s not fun,” he began saying.

Commenting on Real Madrid’s reaction

Beyond criticising Manchester City, Carragher also took the opportunity to comment on Real Madrid’s reaction to the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony. He highlighted how Madrid’s decision to boycott the event after failing to win the award came across as bitter.

While acknowledging that their absence was widely mocked, he argued that City’s response should have been more composed rather than engaging in what he perceived as unnecessary provocation.

“Why bother one of the best players in the world? I know that Madrid behaved like a baby by not going there (the Ballon d’Or Gala), but you behaved appropriately like the club.

“You know that everyone laughed at Madrid for not going to the Ballon d’Or. That was embarrassing for a club like Madrid, just because they haven’t won it for a season,” he added.