The UEFA Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich was a hard fought affair, with both sides pushing their limits. Despite this, there was a moment of camaraderie between Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior and Vincent Kompany near the end of halftime.<\/p>\n
Just before the start of the second half, the Brazilian rushed over to the sideline to meet the FC Bayern coach. The two high-fived and hugged briefly, before Vin\u00ed returned to his team for kickoff. As Kompany confirmed after the game, it was his first time meeting the Brazilian. So why the hug and high-five?<\/p>\n
It has to do with the incident that occurred in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs, where Vin\u00edcius accused Benfica\u2019s Gianluca Prestianni of racist abuse. Jos\u00e9 Mourinho defended his player in the media after the game, which drew harsh criticism from Kompany at the time. Kompany\u2019s response was widely publicized as an ideal response to racism in the game and was deeply supportive of Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior and what he went through. The Brazilian was simply acknowledging the gesture.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first time I\u2019ve met him [Vin\u00ed],\u201d said Kompany after full time (via @iMiaSanMia<\/a>). \u201cI think Vin\u00ed should stay the way he is. And he has my full support, whether he\u2019s an opposing player or not. I think sometimes you need players who are \u2018different\u2019. We have that, too, and we enjoy their success. Franck Rib\u00e9ry was one of those for Bayern Munich, and you\u2019re entitled to your opinion. But you can\u2019t cross a line, and that\u2019s why I have a lot of respect for Vin\u00ed.\u201d<\/p>\n