Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola is facing criticism from the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region following his recent comments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The group is urging Guardiola to "focus on football" and be "more careful with his future language".
Guardiola's remarks came during a pre-match press conference before a game against Newcastle United. He condemned what he called the "genocide in Palestine," and voiced his intention to continue using his platform to speak out for victims of global conflicts. He had also voiced support for Palestinians at a pro-Palestinian charity concert in Barcelona, where he wore a keffiyeh and criticized political leaders.
Guardiola highlighted the accessibility of information in the modern age, stating, "Never, ever in the history of humanity have we had the information in front of our eyes watching more clearly than now". He extended his condemnation to other global events, including the war in Ukraine, conflicts in Russia and Sudan, and a lethal crackdown by immigration agents in the United States. "What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it? It's our problems as human beings. It's our problems," Guardiola said.
The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region accused Guardiola of a "total failure" to show solidarity with Manchester's Jewish community after an attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue in October that resulted in the deaths of two people. The council wrote to Manchester City chairman Al Mubarak in December to complain that Guardiola had not condemned the synagogue attack. The group fears that such comments could fuel antisemitic acts. "We have repeatedly asked for prominent individuals to be mindful about the words they use given how Jewish people have had to endure attacks across the globe," the council said in a statement.
It is not the first time Guardiola has spoken out about the conflict. In June 2025, after receiving an honorary degree at the University of Manchester, Guardiola said the images of children being killed in Gaza were "painful" and left him "deeply troubled". At the time, he urged the world to speak up against injustice. "It's so painful what we see in Gaza... It hurts all my body," Guardiola said in June 2025. "Maybe we think that when we see four-year-old boys and girls being killed by bombs or being killed at a hospital, which is not a hospital any more, it's not our business. Yeah, fine, it's not our business. But be careful – the next four- or five-year-old kids will be ours".
Guardiola's recent comments have sparked widespread debate. While some have supported his right to speak out on humanitarian issues, others have criticized him for wading into complex political matters. Some have accused him of not mentioning the October 7 massacre. Israel adamantly rejects the accusation that it has committed genocide in Gaza, saying it takes measures to avoid harming noncombatants and blaming Hamas for fighting from civilian areas.