Pep Guardiola has condemned Israel’s activities in Palestine and blamed world leaders for failing to prevent the humanitarian disaster. The Manchester City manager’s impassioned message comes ahead of a charity match to raise money for relief.
Catalonia and Palestine will play at Barcelona’s Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium on Tuesday evening. The event, organised by ACT X Palestine, has received backing from a number of political and sporting figures, including Guardiola. 25,000 tickets have already been sold, and all earnings from the game will go towards rebuilding Gaza, which has been devastated since the commencement of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Since the fighting began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 251 captives, Gaza’s health ministry believes that more than 69,000 Palestinians have died. The United Nations has also determined that Israel has committed genocide, an accusation it has disputed.
Although US President Donald Trump has attempted to stop the war, with a cease-fire in place, there have been additional calls to exclude Israel from sporting competition. Over 70 athletes have signed a petition for UEFA to suspend the country, including former Manchester United player Paul Pogba. In November,
the Republic of Ireland Football Association urged European football’s regulatory body to ban Israel.
Guardiola has spoken out on both the match and the war, praising its value while criticizing high-ranking politicians for their inaction. According to RAC1, he stated, “It is more than a symbolic match.” Nowadays, everything is known, and this confrontation will show the Palestinians that there is a segment of the world that cares about them.
“The world has left Palestine alone. We’ve done absolutely nothing. They are not to blame for being born there. We’ve all permitted them to kill an entire population. The damage has already been done, and it is irreversible.
“I can’t fathom anyone in our world defending the massacres in Gaza. Our children might be slain simply because they were born there. I have little faith in our leaders. They will stop at nothing to maintain their dominance.”
He went on to remark, “Symbolism serves to create consciousness, but there must be something moving behind it. There is always a reason to demonstrate, and in this case it is a football game. It’s symbolic, but it’s preferable for the Palestinians to believe that we’re there and that the stadium brings joy.”
October of this year, he supported a pro-Gazan march in Barcelona, pushing governments to take action.
“We are witnessing a live genocide where thousands of children have already died and others may still die,” according to a clip he released. “The Gaza Strip is devastated, and a torrent of people are strolling around without shelter, food, water, or medication. Only an organized urban civil society can save lives and persuade governments to take quick action.
“On October 4 at 12 noon in Jardinets de Gracia, we will flood the streets to demand an end to the genocide.”
xz
