Guardiola urged to ‘focus on football’ after humanitarian comments

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been told to “focus on football” after Jewish community leaders took exception to his comments about victims of global conflicts.

Guardiola had spoken in support of Palestinian children at a charity event in his home city of Barcelona last week and later told journalists on Tuesday that the suffering of innocent people caught up in conflicts in Palestine, Sudan and Ukraine “hurts” him and compels him to speak out.

However, his remarks frustrated the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester, who warned that such language could fuel antisemitic acts.

“We have repeatedly asked for prominent individuals to be mindful about the words they use given how Jewish people have had to endure attacks across the globe,” the group said in a statement posted on X.

“Pep Guardiola is a football manager. Whilst his humanitarian reflections may be well-intentioned, he should focus on football.”

The group also accused Guardiola of a “total failure” to show solidarity with Manchester’s Jewish community following last October’s attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue, in which two people were killed.

“It’s especially galling given his total failure to use his significant platform to display any solidarity with the Jewish community subjected to a terrorist attack a few miles from the Etihad Stadium,” the statement added.

“We implore Mr Guardiola to be more careful in his future language given the significant risk faced by our community.”

Guardiola had earlier vowed to keep speaking out on humanitarian issues because of the “hurt” caused to victims of global conflicts. He missed his press conference prior to last weekend’s draw at Tottenham after attending the Barcelona charity event in support of Palestinian children.

Speaking ahead of City’s League Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle, the Spaniard became emotional as he discussed watching news footage of children being killed and injured in conflict zones across the world, including Palestine, Ukraine and Sudan, as well as recent shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the United States.

“Never, ever in the history of humanity have we had the info in front of our eyes, watching more clearly than now – genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened in Russia, what happened all around the world, in Sudan, everywhere,” Guardiola said.

“It’s our problems as human beings. There is somebody who sees the images from all around the world who is not affected?

“If it was the opposite side, it would hurt me. Wanting harm for another country? It hurts me. To completely kill thousands of innocent people, it hurts me.

“When you have an idea and you need to defend it and you have to kill thousands, thousands of people? I’m sorry, I will stand up. Always I will be there, always.”

Guardiola stressed that his stance was not about politics or taking sides, but about defending human life wherever civilians are suffering.

“The people who have to do that, run away from their countries, go in the sea and then go on a boat to get rescued. Don’t ask if he is right or wrong, rescue him. It is about a human being,” he said.

“Protecting the human being and human life is the only thing we have, not just in these parts of the world but every part of the world.

“But still right now, we kill each other. For what? When I see the images, I am sorry, it hurts.

“That is why in every position I can help by speaking up to be a better society, I will try and will be there.”