Feb 4 (Reuters) – Pep Guardiola said he will continue to use his platform as Manchester City manager to speak up for victims of global conflicts and violence.
Guardiola was speaking at a pre‑match press conference ahead of City’s League Cup semifinal second leg against Newcastle United, five days after he voiced support for children in the occupied Palestinian territories at a charity concert in Barcelona.
“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 on Tuesday in Manchester.
“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.
“What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it? It’s our problems as human beings. It’s our problems.”
He said society must work collectively to improve.
“Look what happened in the United States of America, Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed. Tell me how you can defend that,” Guardiola said. The fatal shootings of the two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents sparked widespread protests in the United States.
“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.
“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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