Manchester City manager Josep Guardiola continued to speak out on global political issues in his latest press conference, mentioning Palestine, the US ICE shooting and the conflict in Sudan.
Josep Guardiola spoke passionately at the latest press conference (Image: Getty Images)
Manager Josep Guardiola expressed concern about the death toll in Palestine and the US, as well as the crisis in Sudan, during Manchester City’s recent press conference. Following his remarks last week at a charity event supporting Palestinian civilians, the city administrator also addressed the events currently dividing the United States.
He spoke about his reaction to the shooting of two American citizens during a protest by ICE agents that sparked widespread criticism of President Donald Trump and his administration. Renee Goode was shot three times in the left forearm, chest, and head while riding in a car on January 7th, and intensive care unit nurse Alex Pretti was also shot multiple times by ICE agents later, killing her.
At a press conference ahead of City’s game against Newcastle on Wednesday, Guardiola referred to the fatal crash in Minneapolis and asked British people to imagine if this had happened to an NHS worker. He also highlighted other conflicts, including Israel and Palestine, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
read more: Josep Guardiola, Man City manager addresses crowd at pro-Palestinian concertread more: Josep Guardiola gives emotional speech about Gaza victims: ‘It’s very painful’
“When I look at the images, I’m sorry. It hurts. It breaks my heart. That’s why I can use my voice in any capacity to strive for a better society. I’m going to try and be there. Always.”
“It’s for my kids, it’s for my family, it’s for you guys. It’s for all of you and your families and kids. My players, my staff, everybody, I’m going to do everything I can to do the best I can in my job and in my life. From my perspective, justice?
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“We have to have a conversation or we just move on. Look at what happened in America. Renee Goode and Alex Pretty were killed. One of them was a nurse. Imagine[someone from]the NHS going out onto the lawn with five or six people around him and being shot 10 times. Tell me how can you defend him?”
Guardiola’s comments about the United States are likely to infuriate Trump, who was awarded the first FIFA Peace Prize by FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of this summer’s World Cup. There’s a good chance it’ll spark another awkward conversation closer to home.
Donald Trump’s administration has been criticized for clashes between ICE and American citizens (Image: SAUL LOEB, AFP, Getty Images)
Two weeks ago, Mayor Khaldun Al Mubarak sat next to President Trump as he signed the Presidential Peace Commission on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. The country’s vice president is Sheikh Mansour, the city’s owner.
This season, protests have been held outside Etihad Airways by groups accusing the UAE of “providing extensive financial and military support” to one side of the Sudanese conflict. That claim is denied. The UAE agreed this week to provide $20 million in aid to the United Nations World Food Programme.
City’s fan base also has a strong Jewish presence. Many people probably noticed that the director mentioned Palestine. The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester wrote to President Al Mubarak in December, complaining that Mr Guardiola had not condemned the Prestwich synagogue attack.
Widespread protests erupt in the US (Image: AFP or licensors)
Guardiola spoke about the issues he was happy to disagree with with friends, saying: “If you do something wrong, go to jail. That’s what happens today. There’s no perfect society. There’s no perfect place. I’m not perfect either. It’s not perfect. You have to strive to be better. Who can stand up for women and have been killed for that? I don’t know. I’ll always be there.
“Never in the history of humanity have we had information so clearly before our eyes as now: the genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened in Russia, what happened around the world, in Sudan, everywhere. What happened before our eyes? Would you like to see it?”
“This is about us as humans. It’s about us. Who can look at images from around the world and not be affected? It’s not a question of right or wrong here.
Russian drone attack kills more than a dozen people in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk city (Image: Global Images Ukraine via Getty)
“Maybe politicians, leftists, rightists, of course anyone with an idea can do it, but is there anyone here who is not affected every day? Today we can see it. We couldn’t see it before, but today we can.
“It hurts me. For me, it hurts me. If I was on the other side, it would hurt me. Do you want to harm other countries? It hurts me. It’s not a matter of position.”
“I’m sorry for all the arguments, but this is how I feel. You’re free to discuss it whenever you want. The outright murder of thousands of innocent people hurts me. It doesn’t get any more complicated than that.”
Josep Guardiola spoke about the Palestinian people at a concert in Barcelona last month (Image: Gisela Jané/Getty Images)
“Not anymore. I have a lot of friends from a lot of countries, a lot of friends. But when you have an idea and you have to protect it, and (to do it) you have to kill thousands of people, I’m sorry, I stand up, I’m always there.”
“When I look at the footage every day, I can’t imagine how anyone can’t feel that people can’t feel a little bit of attachment to the fathers, mothers, children, what happened to them, their lives being destroyed. I’m sorry, but I just don’t feel that.”
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