Pep Guardiola delivers passionate speech on Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan and United States ICE atrocities | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has sympathised with the innocent victims of the atrocities in war-tone Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan and as part of the United States ICE’s crackdown on immigrants.

Guardiola received huge plaudits for his passionate speech dedicated to victims of the Gaza war in Barcelona last week, with the Catalan missing pre-match duties for City’s draw against Tottenham that saw the Blues lose further ground in the Premier League title race.

City can set up a Wembley date with title rivals Arsenal should they see out the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie against Newcastle United on Wednesday night, with Guardiola’s side entering the game with a vital two goal lead after strikes from Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki in the opening leg at St. James’ Park three weeks ago.

Guardiola will be desperate to see his side return to winning ways at home and go one step closer to lifting their first piece of silverware of the season, but the Catalan also addressed greater matters in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

Quizzed on his passion to speak up on humanitarian issues, Guardiola said: “Genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened in Russia, what happened in all around the world, in Sudan and everywhere. What happened in front of us, you want to see it? It’s our problem as human beings, it’s our problem, not their problem.

“Is there someone here, no honestly – I appreciate it because in 10 years or the last two years, it’s the first time one journalist asked me about that. It looks like you are not allowed to do it for your work, I don’t know.

“But there is someone who sees the images happening all around the world, about the words around the world, and they don’t affect me?! Here it is not a question about who is right or wrong.

“Every politician, right or left, right-wing, left-wing, of course – everyone has their ideas can do that. But there is someone here that has no effect what happens every single day? Today we see it, before we could not see it.

“Today we see it, it’s not something new – it hurts me. For me, it hurts me. If it would be the opposite side, it would hurt me. It would harm another country, it hurts me. It’s not about the position. So every argument, I’m sorry, this is my feeling, you can discuss: When you completely kill thousands of innocent people, it hurts me.

“It’s no more complicated than that, no more. I have a lot of people, friends from many many countries, a lot of friends. But when you have an idea and you have to defend, you have to kill thousands, thousands of innocent people, I’m sorry – I’m standing up, always I will be there, always.

“I cannot imagine, nobody, anyone cannot feel that. When you see the images every single day, the fathers, the mothers, the kids, with what happened, being destroyed their lives and absolutely, the people cannot feel a little bit of, being attached. I’m sorry, I cannot feel it.”

Pressed on why he is choosing to speak up more on issues that matter to him, the Manchester City manager added: “But not (just) for that situation of genocide of Palestine. Whatever cause that can be better placed in humanity – many years I was (wearing) ‘Open Arms’ (on his hoodie), right?

“The people going to the Mediterranean, running away from their countries, for the wars, that the people do that, they have to run away from their own countries, going to the sea, and go there and go aboard to try to rescue. Don’t ask if it’s right or wrong, so rescue him! It’s about the human beings.

“After we can be in agreement, we can criticise one thing or another position, but everyone is right, you know, when everything has an idea you have to express it. But when people is dying, you know, you have to help him! Being alive or protecting life is the only thing that we have.

“And now it’s not happening, but not just in this part of the world, in every, every part of the world. What’s happened right now, still right now, with all technologies, all the advances that we have, humanity is better than ever in terms of possibilities, we can reach the moon, we can do everything. But still, right now, we kill each other for what? For what?!

“So, when I see the images, I see the images, I’m sorry, it hurts. It hurts me. That’s why in every position I can help, speaking up, to be a better society, I don’t want to change anything but that’s right: I will be there, all the time. It’s for my kids, for my families, for you, for all of you, for your families as well, for the kids, for the family, for my players, for all the staff.

“And everyone does whatever he can, you know, in his job, in his life, the best. And the injustice, from my point of view, the injustice, you have to talk. You have to talk! Otherwise, the injustice moves on and moves on. You know?

“Look what happened in the United States of America, we had Renée Good and Alex Pretti. So they had been killed. Imagine the NHS, you know, five, six people around him, go on the grass, ten shots. Tell me how you can defend that?! Make something wrong; OK, go to the tribunal, go to sue, go to the jail if something’s wrong.

“That is what happened in modern (society). There is not a perfect society. I know everybody’s perfect. I’m not perfect. Nobody’s perfect. Societies are not perfect. I have to work to be a better place. You know, a person who goes there, who defends, a woman there, surrounded, has been killed for that. Who can defend that? I don’t know. I will be always in front of that.”

Guardiola is among a minority of renowned, global sports personalities who have consistently used their platform to speak about issues greater than football in recent years, with Manchester City fans expressing their pride to have the Catalan as their head coach on social media since his heart-winning press conference on Tuesday.