Pep Guardiola has said that blaming people from overseas for a country’s problems is wrong, the Manchester City manager’s comments coming amid the fallout of Sir Jim Ratcliffe claiming the UK is being “colonised by immigrants”.
Ratcliffe’s comment, made in an interview with Sky News on Wednesday, has led to widespread condemnation, including from within football, leading to Manchester United’s single largest minority owner saying he was sorry that his “choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe”.
“I have a huge appreciation for Sir Jim, I was fortunate to meet him,” said Guardiola when asked about Ratcliffe’s initial words on Friday. “He made a statement after apologising [so] I’m not commenting on what Sir Jim Ratcliffe said because after that, he said exactly what he wanted to say. But all around the world the problem that we have [is that] we treat immigrants or people who come from other countries as the problem that our countries have, and it is a big problem as it not their fault.
“The fact that I am a Catalan and you are British – what influence did we have on where we were born? It was mum and dad. Everybody wants to have a better life and a perspective to have a better future for themselves, their families and their friends, and sometimes opportunities come in the place where you are born and the place that maybe you go to.
“Before it was so difficult to travel but today in one hour you can be everywhere. Today the colour of the skin or where you were born doesn’t make a difference. We have a lot of work to do about that. It doesn’t make me feel that because I am Catalan I am better than you.”
Guardiola went on to reference a career that, as a player, took him from Barcelona to Brescia, Roma, Al Ahli, and Dorados in Mexico, before managerial roles in Spain, Germany and England. “My education when I was born and travelled in Mexico and Qatar or lived in Italy or England or Germany, that is just the benefit [for] my personality,” said the 55-year-old. “I met incredibly nice people travelling and that is what it is about. But it doesn’t make me feel better just for the fact I was born in one place or the other one.
“Most people are running away from countries because of problems in their countries, not because they want to leave. When we embrace other cultures – truly embrace them – we will have a better society.”
Guardiola pointed to how City’s dressing room has and continues to benefit from a blend of different cultures. “Absolutely. How nice it is to have Christian people, other people who are Muslim and they love each other, respect each other, work with each other,” he said. “What is the problem? The problem is created by the bosses and the presidents. If you have to rely on them, we are in trouble. Civilisation we have to do ourselves. We have to rely on guys to say what we have to do, to fight?”
Pep Guardiola reaches out to Rayan Aït-Nouri after Manchester City's win against Fulham.
City host Salford City in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round. Erling Haaland is an injury doubt for the game having been replaced at half-time of Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Fulham.
“He’s not 100% but we will see later how he feels,” said Guardiola. “It’s not a big issue, the doctors said to me, but he had some disturbances during the game and that’s why he didn’t play in the second half.”
Guardiola has twice led City to FA Cup glory and said he loves the competition. “Playing against League One or League Two teams – that experience, when you arrive at the stadium with the coach and all the opposition fans there, chanting: ‘Who are you? Who are you?’ And you say: ‘Oh gosh.’ These kind of things, the vibes and long balls, other things. Honestly, I promise you, it will be one of the memories I will take for the rest of my life.”
Meanwhile, Rodri has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association over his questioning of the neutrality of the referee Robert Jones after he allowed Dominic Solanke’s first goal in City’s 2-2 draw at Tottenham this month.
Solanke appeared to kick Marc Guéhi in the action for his finish on 53 minutes. “I know we won too much and the people don’t want us to win, but the referee has to be neutral,” said Rodri after the game. “It’s not fair because we work so hard. When everything is finished, you are frustrated.”
In a statement, the FA said: “It’s alleged that the midfielder acted in an improper manner during a post-match media interview by making comments that imply bias and/or question the integrity of a match official and/or match officials, contrary to FA Rule 3.1. Rodri has until Wednesday 18 February to provide a response.”
