Josep Guardiola gave a three-minute speech at a charity event in Barcelona on Thursday night, expressing support for the Palestinian people who continue to suffer in the Gaza war.
Pep Guardiola slams “scumbags” in power (Image: Gisela Jané/Getty Images)
Josep Guardiola expressed support for the Palestinian people in an impassioned three-minute speech at a concert in Barcelona on Thursday. A day after leading Manchester City to an important 2-0 victory over Galatasaray in the Champions League, Guardiola returned to his homeland and spoke to highlight the continuing fear in the region.
Guardiola, 55, was one of the celebrities at the Act x Palestine charity event in Palau Sant Jordi. After the concert began with a speech from Coach Guardiola, Catalan singer Rosalía made a surprise appearance.
Wearing a black and white keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian identity, and a headscarf, the city administrator enthusiastically offered support to children whose lives have been torn apart by the war in Gaza. “Good evening, Salam Alaikum, how wonderful you are,” Guardiola began speaking to the 12,000-strong crowd.
“Let me tell you two things: I wonder what we think when we see images on social media and on TV for the last two years of a child recording himself and saying, ‘Where is my mother?'” Amidst the rubble, he doesn’t know it yet.
Follow Man City FB page! Follow the Manchester City Mirror Football Facebook page
read more: Bernardo Silva gives Arsenal a damning warning to remind them of the title – ‘The truth is’read more: Both Premier League teams issued warnings after Champions League supremacy was debated
“And I always think, ‘What are they thinking?’ And I think we just left them alone and abandoned them. I always imagine them saying, ‘Where are you? Come and help me.’ And to this day, we still don’t do that.
“Maybe it’s because those in power are cowards, because they basically send innocent young people to kill innocent people. That’s what cowards do, because they’re in their own homes, and they have heat when it’s cold and air conditioning when it’s hot.
“We have to take a step forward. It means a lot, a lot, just to be there alone. What the bombs cause, and what they try to cause, is silence, and for us to turn a blind eye. That’s their only goal, that we don’t take a step forward.”
“And this is what we must resist. We cannot simply turn a blind eye. We must engage and participate. We must stand before the world and show that we are rightfully on the side of the weak. In this case, Palestine. But it is not just Palestine. There are all causes. This is a statement for Palestine, a statement for humanity.”
Pep Guardiola is no stranger to political action (Image: OLI SCARFF/AFP, Getty Images)
Guardiola’s speech received a standing ovation. His appearance came on the same day that the Israeli military reportedly acknowledged for the first time that more than 70,000 Palestinians had been killed during the war.
This is not the first time Guardiola has expressed a political stance. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager was fined £20,000 by the FA in 2018 for wearing a yellow ribbon in support of jailed Catalan independence leaders.
Guardiola is back in Manchester in preparation for City’s away game against Tottenham on Sunday. His side are currently four points behind Arsenal in the Premier League table.
On Thursday, City secured direct qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League. Goals from Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki helped Guardiola’s side avoid the play-offs.
Opponents in the round of 16 could be Benfica, Bodo/Glimt, Inter Milan or Real Madrid. City still have four trophies to win this season.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
