Jamie Carragher hits out at Man City fans over pre-match banner vs Real Madrid: ‘Absolutely ridiculous’

Jamie Carragher has hit out at Manchester City fans over a tifo designed to antagonise Real Madrid before their Champions League playoff.

City supporters revealed a banner with Rodri, who beat out Madrid’s Vinicius Jr for the Ballon d’Or, adding the words in reference to an Oasis song: “Stop crying your heart out.”

Vinicius Jr won the player of the match award as Los Blancos stormed back to win 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium before next week’s second leg.

And Carragher is adamant that the fans made a mistake with the banner and missed an opportunity to rise above the European champions after their move to snub the Ballon d’Or ceremony once it became apparent that Vinicius Jr and Carlo Ancelotti were not going to win their respective awards.

Carragher said during the coverage on Paramount+: "It's absolutely ridiculous, we love a laugh and a joke, but what do you gain from that? Why annoy people? Wind somebody up? Do it at the end when you knock them out.

“I don't know what you get out of it? It's not funny tonight, you just got beat. If I were a Man City player, that would annoy me, it's like a jinx. I don't like stuff like that. Why wind up some of the best players in the world?

“You should act like the proper club, everybody laughed at Real Madrid for not going to the Ballon d'Or. It was embarrassing for a club like Real Madrid. Man City shouldn't resort to what they're doing, show some class, a big banner, oh my god.”

Carragher then added: “Let’s wind Real Madrid up, even though we’ve still got to go to the Bernabeu next week.”