Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has criticised former United States President Donald Trump over alleged unlawful killings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the United States.
Speaking at a press conference, Guardiola referenced the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, who were reportedly killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis. The City boss said the incident was one of the reasons he felt compelled to speak out on political and humanitarian issues.
“Look what happened in the United States of America. Renee Good and Alex Pretti have been killed,” Guardiola said. “Imagine someone in intensive care, with people around him, then shots are fired. Tell me how you can defend that?”
The 55-year-old has previously spoken out on global conflicts, including the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, stressing that silence in the face of violence against civilians is unacceptable.
Guardiola’s comments come amid broader scrutiny of Manchester City’s ownership. Club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, who also serves as the United Arab Emirates’ representative, was appointed to Trump’s Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month and was part of a delegation that visited the White House following Trump’s inauguration.
Last month, the Jewish Representative Council criticised Guardiola over remarks relating to Gaza, accusing him of endangering British Jews and questioning why he had not condemned a terrorist attack on a local synagogue.
Addressing global conflicts more broadly, Guardiola said the scale of violence around the world is impossible to ignore.
“The genocide in Palestine, what is happening in Ukraine, Russia, Sudan—everywhere,” he said. “We see it clearly. Killing thousands of innocent people hurts. It doesn’t matter which political side you are on.”
He added that protecting human life should be humanity’s highest priority, particularly for refugees forced to flee their countries.
“Don’t ask if someone is right or wrong when they are drowning at sea. Rescue them. We can reach the moon, yet we still kill each other. For what? Protecting human life is the only thing we have.”
Meanwhile, protest groups have continued to call on Manchester City’s ownership to address the conflict in Sudan, staging demonstrations outside the Etihad Stadium in recent months. The Sudanese government has accused the UAE of complicity in genocide, allegations the UAE strongly denies. This week, the UAE pledged 20 million dollars in humanitarian aid to the region.
