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BEIRUT: Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has urged the people of Barcelona to come together for a special football match to be played next week in the city to honor the more than 400 Palestinian athletes killed in Gaza.
In a 30-second video appeal he called on people to fill the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium for the game between the Catalan and Palestine national teams.
“Barcelona, city of peace, hosts this Tuesday the match between the Catalan national team and Palestine national team at the Olympic Stadium,” he said.
“It is more than just a game, it is a cry of solidarity in tribute to the more than 400 Palestinian athletes who were assassinated in Gaza. Let’s fill the stadium.”
Spanish media reports said the proceeds from the match and the Act X Palestine campaign would be used to support the Palestinian people through three lines of action: humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza, justice and an end to impunity, and culture as a form of resistance.
Palestinian-Canadian Mohammed Jashi told Arab News: “As a Palestinian and a Man City fan, I have nothing but tremendous respect and gratitude for Pep, both for his sporting achievements and now his humanitarian stand with my country.
“To have such a prominent manager, the most successful one of our era, issue such a rallying cry for solidarity is something that garners nothing but respect.”
The video garnered 19,000 likes on X and more than 13,500 Instagram.