Pep Guardiola gave a three-minute speech at a charity event in Barcelona on Thursday night, voicing his support for the people of Palestine who continue to suffer because of the war in Gaza
BARCELONA, SPAIN - JANUARY 29: Pep Guardiola speaks onstage during the Concert-Manifesto x Palestine at Palau Sant Jordi on January 29, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. The Concert-Manifesto x Palestine marks the culmination of the Act x Palestine mobilisation campaign promoted by Palestinian human rights organisations and a network of European entities. (Photo by Gisela Jané/Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola hit out at the 'cowards' in power (Image: Gisela Jané/Getty Images)
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Pep Guardiola voiced his support for the people of Palestine during an impassioned three-minute speech at a concert in Barcelona on Thursday. A day after guiding Manchester City to a crucial 2-0 win against Galatasaray in the Champions League, Guardiola returned his homeland and spoke to highlight the ongoing horrors in the region.
Guardiola, 55, was among the famous faces at the Act x Palestine charity event which was held at the Palau Sant Jordi. Catalan singer Rosalia made a surprise appearance after Guardiola had opened the concert with a speech.
Wearing a black and white keffiyeh, a scarf which is a symbol of Palestinian identity, the City manager passionately offered his support for children whose lives have been torn apart by the war in Gaza. "Good evening, salam alaikum, how wonderful," Guardiola began in front of the 12,000-strong audience.
"Let me say two things. I think what we think when I see a child in these past two years with these images on social media, on television, recording himself, pleading, 'Where is my mother?' among the rubble and he still doesn't know it.
"And I always think, 'What must they be thinking'? And I think we have left them alone, abandoned. I always imagine them saying 'Where are you? Come help us'. And even now, we haven't done it.
"Perhaps because those in power are cowards, because they basically send innocent young people to kill innocent people. That is what cowards do. Because they are in their homes, with heating when it's cold and air conditioning when it’s hot.
"We must take a step forward. Simply being present alone means so much - so very, very much. What bombs cause - and what they want to cause - is silence, and for us to look the other way. That is their only goal: that we do not take a step forward.
"And this is what we must resist. We must simply not look the other way; we must get involved and participate. We stand before the world to show that, naturally, we are on the side of the weaker - who in this case is Palestine. But not Palestine alone; all causes. This is a statement for Palestine, and it is a statement for humanity."
Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures from the touchline wearing a yellow ribbon on his shirt during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on February 3, 2019. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Oli SCARFF/AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola is no stranger to political gestures(Image: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
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Guardiola received a standing ovation for his speech. His appearance came on the same day that the Israeli military reportedly accepted, for the first time, that more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war.
It's not the first occasion that Guardiola has taken a political stance. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss was fined £20,000 by the FA in 2018 for wearing a yellow ribbon in support of jailed Catalan independence leaders.
Guardiola is now back in Manchester to prepare for City's game away to Tottenham on Sunday. His side are currently four points behind Arsenal in the Premier League table.
On Thursday, City secured direct qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League. Goals from Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki ensured that Guardiola's men avoided the play-offs.
Their potential opponents in the round of 16 are Benfica, Bodo/Glimt, Inter Milan or Real Madrid. City can still win four trophies this season.