Gaza War ‘Hurts My Whole Body’ — Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed deep sorrow over the ongoing war in Gaza, saying it “hurts my whole body” during a heartfelt speech as he was honoured by the University of Manchester.

Guardiola, 54, made the comments on Monday while receiving an honorary doctorate from the university.

“It’s so painful what we see in Gaza, it hurts my whole body,” Guardiola said in excerpts of his speech shared on social media.

“Let me be clear, it’s not about ideology. It’s not about whether I’m right or you’re wrong. It’s just about the love of life, about the care of your neighbour.”

The conflict in Gaza escalated after a deadly attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023, which left 1,219 people dead in Israel, mostly civilians, according to figures compiled by AFP from official sources.

In response, Israel launched a sustained military campaign in Gaza. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza reports that at least 54,981 people have been killed since the war began, with the majority being civilians. The United Nations considers these figures credible.

“Maybe we think that we see the boys and girls of four years old being killed by the bomb or being killed at the hospital because it’s not a hospital anymore, it’s not our business,” Guardiola said.

“Yes, fine, we can think about that, it’s not our business. But be careful. The next one will be ours. The next four- or five-year-old kids will be ours.

“Sorry, but I see my kids, Maria, Marius, and Valentina, every morning, since the nightmare started, when I see the infants in Gaza, and I’m so scared.”

Known for being outspoken on political issues, including his support for Catalan independence, Guardiola has never shied away from taking a stand.

He was awarded the honorary degree in recognition of his remarkable achievements at Manchester City, where he has won six Premier League titles, and for his contributions through the Guardiola Sala Foundation. The foundation participates in “established projects which strive to support the most disadvantaged.”

Guardiola is not the only football figure to speak out about the war in Gaza.

In October 2023, Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah called on “world leaders to come together to prevent further slaughter of innocent souls.”

The following month, Bundesliga club Mainz terminated the contract of Dutch winger Anwar El Ghazi—now at Cardiff City—over social media posts related to the conflict.

— AFP