The Manchester City defender described why he embraced Vinicius Junior following a thrilling battle in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid last week. Despite attempting to flip the ball over Walker’s head, the Brazilian opened the score in the 1-1 draw with a thundering drive but was otherwise kept quiet down the left wing.
“I went to hug him because he tried to rainbow me, so it was like ‘please don’t try that again’. But boxers fight and shake hands after and that is the respect I do have for him, when it is a good game, you show them that respect because they deserve it,” Walker told a press conference. “He has taken a massive club like that over the line in the Champions League. Tomorrow night, if chosen, I will give him the respect he deserves after the whistle, before that it is dog eat dog.”
Vinicius has been one of Europe’s most exciting players to watch in recent years, but he has a reputation in Spain for supposedly agitating opponents on the field. Walker, on the other hand, stated that he did not believe Vinicius did anything unlawful and that his actions were all part of the game. “I wouldn’t call him a provocative player; he’s a very good player who does whatever it takes to get his team over the finish line.” I try not to get involved if someone is trash talking; I’ve been through far worse in my life than individuals attempting to get a reaction out of me. Going down and requesting yellow cards is a normal aspect of the game.”City will play Real Madrid in the second leg of the semi-finals on Wednesday. They will next play Chelsea on Sunday, with the opportunity to secure the Premier League title, albeit they might be crowned champions the day before if Arsenal loses at Nottingham Forest.
