Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has strongly criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza, saying the world has “abandoned” Palestinians.
Speaking on Spanish radio on Monday, the 54-year-old told RAC1 that Palestinians have been left completely alone despite the suffering they face.
“Every time I think about what is happening to the people of Palestine, it feels like the whole world has left them behind,” he said, adding that innocent children, parents, and grandparents are paying the price simply for being born there.
Guardiola argued that the destruction of Palestinian communities has gone on for far too long. “If this isn’t genocide, then what is it?” he asked, stressing that countless lives have been lost while global powers look away.
He said he has never met anyone—Jewish or Israeli—who could defend what is seen daily in the images coming from Gaza.
Guardiola also criticised world leaders, saying the issue goes beyond choosing sides: “Our children could be in those images. One side has overwhelming weapons, the other does not.”
He expressed support for Palestinians: “I stand with the innocent people who are being killed every day. If a leader cannot bring about a ceasefire or even take a symbolic step toward peace, then what are we doing?”
His comments come ahead of Tuesday’s ACT x Palestine charity match between Catalonia and Palestine at the Lluis Companys Stadium in Barcelona. More than 25,000 tickets have been sold, with all proceeds going to humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
Over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since the October 7, 2023 attacks, according to Gaza Health Ministry figures.
Guardiola said the match is more than symbolic: “With this game, Palestinians will see that a part of the world still cares about them.”
