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Pep Guardiola launched into an extraordinary monologue on global humanitarian issues before Manchester City attempt to reach the Carabao Cup final.
In a remarkable press conference, the City boss criticised the Trump administration after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis, having earlier had his say on the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan.
‘Look what happened in the United States of America, Renee Good and (intensive care nurse) Alex Pretti have been killed,’ the 55-year-old said when asked what was behind his decision to speak up on political issues.
‘Imagine the NHS, five six people around him, go on the grass and 10 shots. Tell me how you can defend that?’
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak was the United Arab Emirates’ representative on Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace at Davos last month, an organisation designed to resolve conflicts that also affords the USA significant decision-making power.
Al Mubarak was part of a delegation that visited the White House following Trump’s inauguration last year.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola gave an extraordinary press conference on Tuesday
Guardiola gave a speech in support of Palestinian children at a charity concert in Barcelona last week
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Sporting a keffiyeh scarf — a traditional headdress which has become a symbol of Palestinian resistence — Guardiola recently gave an emotional speech in support of Palestine at a charity concert in Barcelona.
Last month, the Jewish Representative Council accused Guardiola of ‘putting the lives of British Jews in danger’ in the wake of ‘shameful’ remarks around Gaza and wrote to Al Mubarak asking why their manager had not condemned the terrorist attack on a local synagogue.
Talking broadly about geopolitics, Guardiola said yesterday: ‘Never, ever in the history of humanity have we had the information in front of our eyes more clearly than now.
‘The genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened in Russia, what happened all around the world — in Sudan, everywhere. What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it? It’s our problems as human beings. It’s our problems.
‘Is there someone here who is not affected every single day? For me, it hurts me. If it was the opposite (political) side, it would hurt me. Killing thousands of innocent people, it hurts me. It’s no more complicated than that. Do something wrong, go to jail.
‘I have a lot of friends from many, many countries, but when you have an idea and you need to defend (it) and you have to kill thousands of people (to do that) I’m sorry, I will stand up.’ Protest groups have called on City’s owner and UAE vice president Sheikh Mansour to be held to account for the conflict in Sudan and have twice demonstrated outside the Etihad Stadium in recent months.
The Sudanese government accused the UAE of being ‘complicit in genocide’, something the UAE strongly denies. The UAE this week pledged $20million in humanitarian aid to the region.
Guardiola added: ‘People who have to (leave) their countries, in the sea and then go on a boat to get rescued. Don’t ask if he is right or wrong, rescue him. We can reach the moon, we can do everything. But still right now, we kill each other, for what? For what? It is about a human being. Protecting human life is the only thing we have.’
In the context of such matters, Guardiola’s recent travails in the Premier League pale into insignificance. City are six points behind leaders Arsenal after one win in six and Guardiola made a pointed remark about net spend, after the club committed £430m to new signings across 12 months as part of an extensive rebuild.
‘I’m a little bit sad because in net spend the last five years we are seventh in the Premier League — I want to be the first, I don’t understand why the club don’t spend more money,’ Guardiola said sarcastically.
Asked whether City will ever be able to shake the tag that money is the determining factor for their success, he replied: ‘No, never ever. Always we live with that. The numbers are the numbers and that is not going to change.’
After surrendering a two-goal lead at Tottenham on Sunday, midfielder Rodri — one of four club captains suggested the officials were biased against City. The claim came as City insisted Dominic Solanke fouled Marc Guehi while scoring his first goal — the fourth decision they consider contentious in recent weeks.
Guardiola defended Rodri, saying his words were spoken in the heat of the moment, and refused to countenance the idea of a conspiracy against his club.
‘I’m not suspicious,’ he said. ‘Of course there aren’t meetings between the referees about how they can punish Man City. I’ve never said that.
‘I’m saying that despite all the circumstances that happened… if the people are saying that the laws say the right decision was given, as Sky said. The images are there. For me it is a foul and for you it is not. It’s fine. That’s why football is what it is.
‘Our chairman, CEO, our players, we are not allowed to say anything, I said, ‘Don’t talk about that, just focus on what we have to do’ but when the images are here… I am sorry, it’s not (just) once. We have to focus on what we have to do. That’s why we won.
‘I won with my team 13 or 14 (trophies) — because the excuses were completely out. Last season (when they lost the league title to Liverpool) it was not good — it was on ourselves.
‘Here we don’t blame — it’s on our shoulders. Here we have to do better, we have to find a way. Do you think in the second half (of games) we drop is because of the referees? No.’
