Pep Guardiola gave a politically-charged speech about the war in Gaza after receiving an honorary degree from the University of Manchester.
The Manchester City manager, awarded a doctorate for his contribution to the city during his nine years in charge of the club, appeared to urge those listening to intervene to stop the deaths of young children.
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“It’s so painful what we see in Gaza. It hurts all my body,” the Spaniard said. “Let me be clear – it’s not about ideology. It’s not about, ‘I’m right and you’re wrong’. Come on, it’s just about the love of life. About the care of your neighbour.
“Maybe we think that we can see the boys and girls of four years old being killed with a bomb or being killed at the hospital – which is not a hospital any more – and think it’s not our business.
“Yeah, fine. We can think about that. It’s not our business. But be careful. The next one will be ours. The next four, five-year-old kids will be ours. Sorry that I see my kids, Maria, Marius and Valentina, every morning since the nightmare started in Gaza. And I’m so scared.”
He continued: “Maybe this image feels far away from where we are living now. And you might ask what we can do.
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“There’s a story I’m reminded of. A forest is on fire. All the animals live terrified, helpless. But the small bird flies back and forth to the sea, back and forth carrying drops of water in this little beak.
“A snake laughs and asks, ‘Why, bro? You will never put the fire out’. The poor bird replies, ‘Yes I know it’.
“‘Then why do you do it again and again?’, the snake asks once again. ‘I’m just doing my part’, the bird replies for the last time. The bird knows that he won’t stop the fire but it refused to do nothing.
“In a world that often tells us that we are too small to make a difference, that story reminds me that the power of one is not about the scale, it’s about choice. About showing up, about refusing to be silent or still when it matters most.”
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Guardiola has spoken in support of Catalan independence, having appeared at a rally in Barcelona several years ago in which he criticised “the abuses of an authoritarian state”. In 2018, he was fined £20,000 by the Football Association for wearing a yellow ribbon in support of jailed Catalan independence leaders. He argued it was not a political statement but accepted that it fell foul of the governing body’s rules.
In this Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017 file photo, Manchester City coach Josep Guardiola looks on during their Champions League group F soccer match against Shakhtar Donetsk
Guardiola is a supporter of an independent Catalonia - AP/Efrem Lukatsky
Guardiola also talked about his love of Manchester. He said: “Catalonia is my home town, but Manchester will remain something unique for the rest of my life. I have lived the best moments of my life here.
“I even start to love the rain, the dark days and nights. It’s part of my bones, I would say. I get it, I get it. You have to love what you do. Something comes from the gut. Don’t do it because maybe I will have more money or something else. Do it because you love it.
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“Everything comes from passion. Everything comes from something inside. If you do it just because people say you have to do this, you have to do that. It’s why I’m grateful my mum and dad never pushed me into this or did that.
“Do it because you love it. I think that is the only advice I leave to my kids – and I do many times.”