Pep Guardiola responded to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s recent comments by advocating for a borderless view of humanity, arguing that a person’s birthplace or skin colour should never be a basis for perceived superiority or judgment.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has weighed in on the recent controversial comments made by Sir Jim Ratcliffe regarding immigrants, offering a nuanced perspective that emphasized global empathy and the shared human desire for a better life.
Addressing the media, the Catalan coach confirmed his respect for the INEOS founder, stating, “I have a huge appreciation for Sir Jim. I was fortunate to meet him. I think he made an apology.”
However, Guardiola was quick to pivot toward the broader systemic challenges facing displaced people, noting,
“But it’s all around the world the problems we have, immigrants or people coming from another country. They are problems our countries have, and it’s a big, big, big, big, big problem.”
Drawing on his own heritage and international career, he questioned the arbitrary nature of national identity, asking, “The fact I am Catalan and you’re British, what influence we had where we were born? It was mum and dad, right?”
He argued that migration is driven by a fundamental pursuit of opportunity, explaining, “And we are born there, and I think everybody wants to have a better life, every people wants to have a perspective to have a better future for themselves, their families, friends or whatever.”
Guardiola, who has lived in Mexico, Qatar, Italy, Germany, and England, credited his travels for “benefiting my personality” and meeting “incredibly nice people,” while firmly rejecting any form of exceptionalism.
“The moment we start on colour of skin, or place where you’re born, it doesn’t make a difference. We have a lot, a lot of work to do. The fact I’m Catalan, I’m better than you? No,” he asserted.
Pep concluded with a reminder that most people “run away from their countries for the problems they have in their countries, not because we want to leave.”