BARCELONA, (The Palestine Foundation Pakistan)
Manchester City club’s football manager Pep Guardiola condemned the scale of atrocities and destruction caused by Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip over the past two years, saying the world “left Palestine alone” and failed to act.
This came in an interview with the Catalan radio station RAC1, given on the eve of a friendly match between Palestine and Catalonia at the Lluis Companys Stadium.
Early estimates indicated that more than 25,000 tickets had already been sold for Tuesday’s game.
The match comes just days after a friendly match between Palestine and the Basque national team, with proceeds dedicated to humanitarian relief efforts in the Gaza Strip through a charitable organization.
Guardiola said, “The world has left Palestine alone. We did absolutely nothing. Palestinians are not guilty for being born there.”
“We all allowed Israel to destroy an entire people. The damage is done, and it is irreparable”, he added. The Manchester City manager sharply criticized world leaders who stood idle. “I cannot imagine anyone in this world being able to defend the massacres in Gaza,” he said.
“Our children could be there, being killed simply for being born in that place. I have very little trust in leaders; they do whatever it takes to stay in power.”
Explaining the purpose behind holding the match, Guardiola said symbolic acts help raise awareness, but “there has to be something driving them. There is always a reason to protest. In this case, it’s a football match, a symbolic act.”
He continued, “It’s important for Palestinians to know that we are here with them for a while, and that the atmosphere in the stadium can bring some joy.”
Guardiola, one of the most outspoken international sports figures supporting Palestinians against Israel’s genocide, had previously urged residents of Barcelona to fill the stands at Lluis Companys Stadium to show solidarity with Palestine.
