'It hurts all my body': Pep Guardiola calls Gaza war 'painful' during university speech

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has spoken out against Israel's war on Gaza, calling it "painful" and saying the violence "hurts all my body" during a speech at the University of Manchester on Monday.

Guardiola, was accepting an honorary degree from the university for his contribution to the city when he made the remarks. In an emotional moment, he reflected on the suffering of children in Gaza and expressed fear for his own family.

"Maybe we think that we can see the boys and girls of four years being killed with a bomb or being killed at the hospital, which is not a hospital anymore, and think it's not our business," he said.

"Yeah, fine. We can think about that. It's not our business, but be careful. The next one will be ours. The next four, five-year-old kids will be ours. Sorry that I see my kids Maria, Marius and Valentina every morning since the nightmare started in Gaza. And I'm so scared."

Guardiola also emphasised the importance of action in the face of injustice, telling the story of a bird trying to put out a forest fire while a snake mocks it. "The bird knows that he won't stop the fire but it refused to do nothing," he said.

"In a world that often tells us that we are too small to make a difference, that story reminds me that the power of one is not about the scale, it's about choice. About showing up, about refusing to be silent or still when it matters most."

The 54-year-old manager received the honorary degree in recognition of his impact on Manchester, both through football, where he has led Manchester City to six Premier League titles, four Carabao Cups, two FA Cups, and a Champions League and through his wider contributions, including work with the Guardiola Sala Foundation.

Guardiola joins a growing number of public figures in the UK expressing concern over the war on Gaza.

The war, which began in October 2023, has killed over 54,900 Palestinians and injured more than 126,000, according to Gaza health authorities. Many bodies remain trapped under the rubble.

Earlier this year, more than 300 UK celebrities, including singer Dua Lipa and football pundit Gary Lineker, signed an open letter calling on the UK government to impose sanctions and halt arms sales to Israel in response to its assault on Gaza.