Pep Guardiola pledged to continue using his Manchester City platform to highlight victims of global conflicts and violence. Speaking before City's League Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle, he cited crises including Palestine, Ukraine, Russia and Sudan and referenced the U.S. killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Guardiola said the images of suffering pain him and motivate his efforts to push for a better society for his children and others.
Guardiola Vows To Keep Speaking Out For Victims Of Global Conflicts
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Manchester City - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - January 17, 2026 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble
Pep Guardiola said he will continue to use his platform as Manchester City manager to speak up for people affected by conflicts and violence around the world.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference in Manchester ahead of City's League Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle United, Guardiola repeated comments he made five days earlier at a charity concert in Barcelona, where he expressed support for children in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
"Never, ever in the history of humanity have we had the information in front of our eyes watching more clearly than now," Guardiola told reporters.
He listed several crises when explaining why he feels compelled to speak out. "The genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened in Russia, what happened all around the world - in Sudan, everywhere," he said, referring to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories among other theatres of violence.
"What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it? It's our problems as human beings. It's our problems," he added, urging collective responsibility and action to reduce suffering.
Guardiola also referenced a recent U.S. incident: "Look what happened in the United States of America, Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed. Tell me how you can defend that." The fatal shootings of the two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents have sparked widespread protests.
Describing his personal reaction, Guardiola said the images of violence pain him and motivate his activism. "When I see the images, I am sorry it hurts. That is why in every position I can help speak up to be a better society, I will try and will be there. All the time. It is for my kids, my families, for you," he said.
He closed by acknowledging imperfection but stressing the need to strive for improvement: "There is not a perfect society, nowhere is perfect, I am not perfect, we have to work to be better."
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
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