“The Manchester City coach made an emotional appeal for humanity, recalling the victims in Ukraine, Sudan and Palestine, and criticized violence by security forces in the United States.”, — write: football.ua
The Manchester City coach made an emotional appeal for humanity, recalling the victims in Ukraine, Sudan and Palestine, and criticized violence by security forces in the United States.
Josep Guardiola Getty Images 04 February 2026, 00:59
Guardiola, who the day before gave a charity concert in Barcelona in support of Palestinian children, spoke passionately about the suffering of civilians in war zones. He mentioned the wars in Ukraine, Sudan and the Gaza Strip, directly using the word genocide in relation to the latter.
“Never in the history of mankind have we had information before our eyes as clearly as now – the genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened all over the world – in Sudan, everywhere. What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it? These are our problems as people. These are our problems,” Guardiola emphasized.
The coach admitted that he could not understand the indifference to the destruction of human lives: “It hurts me. If it was on the opposite side, it would also hurt me… To kill thousands of innocent people completely? There is nothing more difficult than that. I can’t imagine how anyone can see these images every day – fathers, mothers, children whose lives are destroyed – and not feel even a drop of compassion?” – said Pep.
When asked by a journalist from The Athletic why these topics are so important to him, Guardiola replied reproachfully:
“I appreciate it, because this is the first time in 10 years that a journalist has asked me about this. It seems that you are not allowed to do this because of your job,” the specialist noted.
Apart from wars, Pep drew attention to social injustice and violence in the Western world. He mentioned the recent incident in Minneapolis (USA), where federal ICE agents shot and killed two citizens — Renee Hood and Alexa Pretty — as part of an immigration crackdown.
“Look at what happened in the United States of America… Tell me, how can you defend that? There is no perfect society, but we have to work to become better,” the coach said.
Guardiola also commented on the migrant crisis in the English Channel, emphasizing the priority of human life over politics:
“People fleeing their countries get on a boat… Don’t ask if he’s right or wrong, save him. It’s about a person,” the Spaniard added.
Pep concluded his speech with a promise not to be silent: “That’s why at every stage where I can help speak for a better society, I will try and be there. This is for my children, my families, for you. From my point of view, justice requires that you speak. Otherwise, everything will just go on,” the mentor summed up.
On Wednesday, Guardiola’s men will play the second leg of the English League Cup semi-final against Newcastle. (The first game ended 2:0 in favor of the townspeople) The starting whistle at 22:00 Kyiv time.