Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has come under fire from representatives of the city’s Jewish community after he again spoke out about global conflict and the war in Gaza.
Last week, Guardiola gave an emotional speech in support of Palestine at a charity concert in Barcelona, during which he wore a keffiyeh scarf – a traditional headdress which has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance.
He then further delved into the conflict at his pre-match press conference ahead of City’s clash against Newcastle on Wednesday, where he talked about ‘genocide in Palestine’.
He told journalists how the suffering of innocent people caught up in conflict around the world ‘hurts’ him, leaving him compelled to speak out.
During the press conference, he also criticised the Trump administration after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis, and as well as talking about the war in Gaza, he discussed conflict in Ukraine and Sudan.
However, Guardiola has now been criticised by the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region, who have told the Spaniard to ‘focus on football’, amid a fear his comments may fuel anti-Semitic acts.
They also accused Guardiola of a ‘total failure’ to support and show solidarity with Manchester’s Jewish community after the Manchester synagogue terror attack in October, which led to two deaths.
‘We have repeatedly asked for prominent individuals to be mindful about the words they use given how Jewish people have had to endure attacks across the globe,’ a statement posted on X read.
‘Pep Guardiola is a football manager. While his humanitarian reflections may be well-intentioned, he should focus on football.
‘Manchester City is being let down by him repeatedly straying into commentary on international affairs. This is the second time in a week he has decided to offer his controversial views on the Middle East conflict.
‘It’s especially galling given his total failure to use his significant platform to display any solidarity with the Jewish community subjected to a terrorist attack a few miles from the Etihad Stadium or the Barcelona community reeling from anti-Semitic violence close to where he once engaged in remarks we believe to be provocative.
‘We implore Mr Guardiola to be more careful in his future language given the significant risk faced by our community.’
Talking broadly about geopolitics, Guardiola had said on Tuesday: ‘Never, ever in the history of humanity have we had the information in front of our eyes more clearly than now.
‘The genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened in Russia, what happened all around the world – in Sudan, everywhere. What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it? It’s our problems as human beings. It’s our problems as human beings…
‘Is there someone here who is not affected every single day? For me, it hurts me. If it was the opposite (political) side, it would hurt me. Killing thousands of innocent people, it hurts me. It’s no more complicated than that. Do something wrong, go to jail.
‘I have a lot of friends from many, many countries, but when you have an idea and you need to defend (it) and you have to kill thousands of people (to do that) I’m sorry, I will stand up.’
Guardiola has regularly spoken up in defence of Palestine and been vocal on the conflict.
Back in November, he said: ‘The world has left Palestine alone. We’ve done absolutely nothing.
‘They’re not at fault for being born there. We’ve all allowed them [Israel] to destroy an entire people. The damage is already done and it’s irreparable.
‘There, for a very long time now, we have allowed the destruction of an entire people because they say, “don’t say genocide”.
‘I am absolutely taking the side of Palestine: the innocent people who are murdered daily, because the man drawing this up decides what he decides, because if he is not capable of solving it through a ceasefire, gesture, the symbolism you mentioned, and only through force.’
Following those comments, in December the Jewish Representative Council accused Guardiola of ‘putting the lives of British Jews in danger’ in the wake of ‘shameful’ remarks around Gaza and wrote to City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak asking why their manager had not condemned the terrorist attack on a local synagogue.
