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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Tuesday, February 4, expressed concern over civilian suffering in conflict zones, including Gaza, saying he felt compelled to speak out whenever he saw images of violence and loss of life.

Addressing reporters at a pre-match press conference, Guardiola spoke about wars across different regions and said the scale of destruction visible through social media troubled him deeply.

“Never in the history of humanity have we had the information in front of our eyes watching more clearly than now,” he said.

Referring to ongoing conflicts, he added, “What is happening in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened in Russia, what happened all around the world — in Sudan, everywhere… It’s our problem as human beings.”

Guardiola said images from war-affected areas affected him regardless of which side was involved. “If it was the opposite side, it would hurt me,” he said, adding that the killing of innocent people was something he found impossible to accept.

“When you have an idea and you feel you need to defend it, and thousands of people are killed, I’m sorry, I will stand up,” he said.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach stressed that the protection of human life should remain paramount. “With all the technology and advances we have, humanity is better than ever in terms of possibilities. But still, we kill each other,” he said. “When I see the images, it hurts.”

Guardiola has spoken on similar lines in recent days, including at a charity event in Spain in January where he criticised what he described as global silence over the plight of children in Gaza. The Spanish manager has previously said footage from conflict zones left him “deeply troubled,” adding that while no society was perfect, people had a responsibility to strive to do better.

Criticising ICE actions

Guardiola also referred to recent incidents in the US involving fatal shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, which have drawn criticism amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants. “Imagine if someone from the National Health Service [in the UK] was surrounded by several officers and shot,” he said. “Tell me how you can defend that?”

Guardiola is among the few high-profile football managers to have repeatedly commented on political and humanitarian issues during public appearances.