Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola used his acceptance speech for an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester on Monday, June 9, 2025, to deliver a heartfelt address on the ongoing war in Gaza, stating the conflict “hurts my whole body.”
Guardiola, 54, was awarded the honorary degree in recognition of his significant contributions to the city of Manchester, both on and off the pitch. This includes guiding Manchester City to six Premier League titles in nine years and his extensive charitable work through the Guardiola Sala Foundation. The degree was presented by the University’s Chancellor, Nazir Afzal, at a ceremony in Whitworth Hall.
In his speech, the decorated Spanish manager shifted focus from football to the humanitarian crisis, expressing his profound distress over the situation.
“It’s so painful what we see in Gaza. It hurts my whole body,” Guardiola said. “It’s not about ideology. It’s not about whether I’m right, or you’re wrong. It’s just about the love of life, about the care of your neighbour.”
The war began after the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages, according to Israeli officials. The subsequent military campaign by Israel has resulted in the deaths of more than 54,000 Palestinians, a majority of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza.
Guardiola personalized his plea, referencing his own children. “Maybe we think that we see the boys and girls of four years old being killed by the bomb or being killed at the hospital because it’s not a hospital anymore. It’s not our business,” he said. “But be careful. The next four- or five-year-old kids will be ours. Sorry, but I see my kids, Maria, Marius and Valentina. When I see every morning since the nightmare started the infants in Gaza, and I’m so scared.” Guardiola Gaza
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