Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is facing criticism from Jewish community leaders following his recent remarks on international conflicts. The Manchester and Region Jewish Representative Council has publicly stated their disappointment with Guardiola's comments, urging him to "focus on football" and "choose his words more carefully" amidst rising antisemitism.
The Council's statement, posted on X, formerly Twitter, followed Guardiola's expression of "pain" for victims of global conflicts and a speech in support of Palestinian children at a charity event in Barcelona. Guardiola has stated he wants to use his position to speak out about such issues. At a press conference on Tuesday, Guardiola said, "Never, ever in the history of humanity have we had the info in front of our eyes, watching more clearly than now - genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened in Russia, what happened all around the world, in Sudan, everywhere". He added, "What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it? It's our problems as human beings... (To) completely kill thousands of innocent people, it hurts me. It's no more complicated than that. No more".
The Jewish Representative Council (JRC) said, "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 JRC accused Guardiola of letting Manchester City down by repeatedly straying into commentary on international affairs. The Council also highlighted Guardiola's "total failure" to show solidarity with Manchester's Jewish community after the attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue last October, where two people were killed. "It's especially galling given his total failure to use his significant platform to display any solidarity with the Jewish community subjected to a terrorist attack a few miles from the Etihad Stadium," the statement added. The council stated, "We implore Mr Guardiola to be more careful in his future language given the significant risk faced by our community".
Guardiola's comments on the situation in Gaza, specifically his remarks made during an acceptance speech at the University of Manchester in June 2025, have also drawn criticism. During the speech, Guardiola expressed anguish over events in the region but did not mention the October 7 massacre, leading to outrage from some Israeli football fans and British Jews. He said at the time, "It's incredibly painful, what we're seeing in Gaza. It hurts my whole body... This is simply about the love of life, about caring for your neighbor".
Manchester City has not yet commented on the situation. The debate raises questions about the role of public figures in commenting on sensitive geopolitical issues and the potential impact of their words. Some have argued that Guardiola's comments could be seen as contributing to rising antisemitism, while others defend his right to express his personal views on humanitarian issues.