Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola delivered a moving speech in support of Palestinian children at a charity gala in Barcelona on Thursday evening.
Speaking of the pain he feels at seeing the suffering of children, Guardiola called for urgent action as he took to the stage at the Palestine benefit gala held at the Palau Sant Jordi sports arena.
Just a day after leading Manchester City to a 2-0 victory over Galatasaray in the Champions League, the 55-year-old manager appeared wearing a black and white Palestinian keffiyeh and shared his thoughts with the audience.
“I always think about what goes through our minds when we see a child in these images on social media or television over the last two years, filming themselves pleading amidst the rubble: ‘Where is my mother?’ while they don’t yet understand the reality,” Guardiola said in his speech.
“I always think: ‘What are they feeling?'” I think we’ve failed them and left them alone and abandoned. I always imagine them crying out, ‘Where are you? Come help us!’ And so far, we haven’t. Perhaps because those in power are cowards, because they send innocent young people to kill other innocent people.
He continued, criticizing the leaders: ‘That’s what cowards do; because they sit in their homes, warm when it’s cold and air-conditioned when it’s hot. We must take a step forward. Just being here means so much. What the bombs are doing—what they want to do—is for us to remain silent, to turn a blind eye.’
Guardiola emphasized the importance of resistance, saying: “That’s their only goal: to prevent us from taking any steps forward. And that’s what we must resist. We mustn’t turn a blind eye; we must engage and participate. We stand before the world to show that, naturally, we stand with the weaker party, which in this case is Palestine. But not just Palestine; all just causes. This is a stance for Palestine, and it’s a stance for humanity.”
This isn’t the first time Guardiola has declared his support for the Palestinian cause. Last November, he called on fans to rally for a charity match between Palestine and Catalonia, saying: “It’s more than just a match; it’s a cry of solidarity and a tribute to the more than 400 athletes who were martyred in Gaza.”
