The last press conference for Manchester City’s coach, Pep Guardiola, was not just about football tactics or transfer market expenses, but it turned into a humanitarian platform that shocked the sports circles with its boldness.
Guardiola said he will continue to use his position as Manchester City’s coach to speak on behalf of victims of conflicts and violence around the world.
Guardiola's statements came in a press conference on Tuesday before the second leg of the English Football League Cup semifinal between Manchester City and Newcastle United, five days after expressing his support for children in the occupied Palestinian territories during his participation in a charity event in Barcelona.
The Spanish coach told journalists in Manchester, "Never in the history of humanity have the facts been so clear before our eyes."
Guardiola feels the pain
He added, "The genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, and in Russia, and everywhere in the world - in Sudan, and everywhere. What is happening before us? Do you want to see it? These are our problems as humans."
The Spanish coach emphasized that communities need to work collectively to improve their situations.
He continued, "Look at what happened in the United States; Renee Good and Alex Priti were killed. Tell me how you can defend that." Their deaths by gunfire from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents sparked widespread protests in the United States.
Guardiola said, "When I see the pictures, I feel sorry because they are painful. And so, in every situation where I can help by speaking for a better society, I will try and I will be there — always. This is for my children and my family and for you."
He concluded by saying: "There is no perfect society, no perfect place, and I am not perfect. We need to work to be better."
