World Cup 2022: Brazil Media Manager Throws Cat Out of Vinicius’ Presser

• Brazil's media manager tossed a stray cat out of Vinicius Junior's press conference
• The manager and Vinicius Jr. then burst out laughing in an uncomfortable moment
• The incident drew angry criticism from fans online for cruel treatment of the animal

Vinicius Junior's press conference took a bizarre turn, when Brazil's media manager literally threw a cat out of the room.

Vinicius Jr and Brazil are preparing for their mouth-watering 2022 World Cup quarter-final showdown against Croatia, and the team's media manager did not want the cat to take centre stage.

Brazil have lived up to the hype in Qatar and turned on their style, as they brushed aside South Korea 4-1 in the Round of 16. The game also marked the return of Neymar, who was injured in their opener against Serbia.

Tite's side scored some magnificent goals and were 4-0 up by the 36th minute. Vinicius Jr, Neymar, Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta were on target as they blew away the Asian side.

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The game against Croatia will certainly be different, as the European side boasts top-class players like Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric. The two sides face off on Friday, December 9.

Cat thrown out of presser

As the press conference was about to start, a stray cat found itself on the table where microphones and recorders were placed, according to Sportbible.

The media manager bizarrely grabbed the back of the cat before tossing it to the ground. After this, the manager and Vinicius Jr glanced at each other before laughing.

Groans were heard inside the room following the incident.

Earlier this year, West Ham defender Kurt Zouma got in trouble for kicking his cat. He was then sentenced to 180 hours of community service after pleading guilty to the offence, according to the Athletic.

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Vinicius in row with Nike

Sports Brief earlier reported that Vinicius Jr could sue Nike for giving him old boots last season. The Brazilian forward believes the sportwear giants should give him more attention as one of their biggest stars.

He played in an older model of the Mercurial brand boots during Real Madrid's march to the Champions League triumph last season.

The 22-year-old, who signed a £7million-a-year deal to make him one of Nike's highest-profile clients, now wants to end their partnership.

Vinicius Jr is currently still covered by his contract and is sporting Nike boots while competing in the World Cup. On Monday, he scored the first goal in his team's 4-1 victory over South Korea.