OGUN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reaffirmed his commitment to speaking out on global humanitarian issues, stating that he feels a personal responsibility to use his public profile for the betterment of society.
Guardialo spoke ahead of City’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle on Wednesday.
Speaking passionately about children being killed and injured in conflict zones across the world, he said the footage he sees “hurts me”.
He referenced conflicts in Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan and even recent shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the United States.
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“Today we can see it, before we could not see it,” said Guardiola. “It hurts me. If it was the opposite side, it would hurt me. I’m sorry, I will stand up, always I will be there. Always. Completely kill thousands of innocent people? It hurts me. It’s no more complicated than that. No more.
“I cannot imagine how anybody cannot feel that, when you see the images every single day, the fathers, mothers, kids, having what happened, their lives being destroyed and the people cannot feel a little bit of being attached? I’m sorry, I cannot feel it.”
Asked by the Athletic why these subjects matter so much to him, Guardiola replied: “I appreciate it because it’s the first time in 10 years that one journalist asks me about that.
“It looks like you [the media] are not allowed to do it for your work, I don’t know.
“But there is somebody who sees the images from all around the world – the wars – who is not affected? It’s not a question about right or wrong.”