Man City boss Guardiola backs pro-Gazan protest in Barcelona

Spanish coach Pep Guardiola, one of the most decorated coaches in club football, has never shied away from political expression, often voicing support for Catalan independence. Now the Manchester City manager has turned his attention to Gaza, describing the humanitarian crisis as a "genocide in real time" and urging global mobilisation.

"We are witnessing a live, ongoing genocide in which thousands of children have already died and others may still perish," Guardiola said in a video released Sunday.

He highlighted the devastation in Gaza, with people left "without direction, without food, drinking water, or medicines," and backed a major demonstration in Barcelona.

"Only organized civil society can save lives and pressure governments to act once and for all," he said.

According to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, at least 67,139 people -- mostly civilians -- have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks.

Earlier this year, Guardiola had voiced his fears when receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester, calling the war "so painful" and stressing his plea was about "the love of life, about the care of your neighbour."

He compared the plight of Gaza's children to his own, warning: "The next four- or five-year-old kids will be ours."

Guardiola also said he was "deeply troubled" by the wars in Sudan and Ukraine.

In 2018, he was fined by the FA for wearing a yellow ribbon in support of imprisoned Catalan politicians, and the year before he joined independence marches in Barcelona.