Even Vincent Kompany was furious: Vinicius Junior causes trouble again against FC Bayern

Kimmich appealed for a free-kick, but referee Slavko Vincic waved play on, an invitation Vinicius evidently accepted to target the Bayern man again. The Brazilian first gave Kimmich, who was already on the ground, a light tap on the ankle then shoved him back to the turf.

Manager Vincent Kompany reacted furiously from the touchline—and that’s saying something. After the first leg, the Belgian had defended Vinicius, telling reporters in Madrid eight days ago, “I think Vini needs to stay as he is,” when asked about the star striker’s provocations during the match.

Referee Vincic later pulled the Real star aside for a private warning but took no further action. Remarkably, Vinicius, already on a yellow card, avoided a second caution that would have ruled him out of a potential semi-final.

The sold-out, electric Allianz Arena responded to Vincic’s leniency and Vinicius’s antics with a deafening chorus of boos, and the 25-year-old was jeered every time he touched the ball. 

The animosity between Kimmich and the often provocative Brazilian dates back to the second leg of the 2024 semi-final. On that occasion, Vinicius Junior—known for his vociferous and gesticulating complaints and theatrics—did not, as in the first leg in 2026, win a penalty or draw a foul; instead, he provoked Kimmich with an unsporting gesture of extreme provocation. 

Late in the match, Vinicius asked Kimmich for the ball before a throw-in, then let it slip from his grasp. When Kimmich returned it to his arms to save time, the forward simply rolled it away.

Real reached the Champions League final that season thanks to a late brace from Joselu (88’, 90’+1), where they beat Borussia Dortmund to claim their 15th—and, to date, last—Champions League title. This time, however, fortune favoured the record champions.

Although Vincic had shown leniency towards Vinícius in the ninth minute, his decision to send off Eduardo Camavinga for time-wasting in the closing stages (86’) was ruthlessly harsh. Camavinga, already on a yellow card, had briefly held onto the ball to deny Bayern a swift restart. Vincic, seemingly unaware of the earlier caution, reached for yellow before brandishing red.

Real Madrid players were furious and stunned, while the Spanish press later lambasted Vincic. Vinicius mockingly applauded the decision, yet escaped punishment. Bayern capitalised on their numerical superiority three minutes later, as a deflected Luis Díaz effort crept into the net to make it 3–3. Michael Olise then struck the winner in stoppage time to secure a 4–3 victory. 

The result eliminated the Royals and Vinicius, while Bayern will now face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals.