Guardiola: “It's a complete injustice to compare us with ETA”

Manchester City coach says Catalans in favor of independence have always acted "peacefully"

Pep Guardiola (centre) at a pro-independence gathering in June 2017 (by ACN)
Pep Guardiola (centre) at a pro-independence gathering in June 2017 (by ACN) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

March 30, 2018 05:58 PM

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola described as a "complete injustice" to describe pro-independence supporters as violent and to compare them with terrorists groups.

"When they say that we create violence, they are completely wrong," he added, rejecting comparisons to the Basque terrorist group ETA.

"Everything we have done going out on to the streets these years, we've done it peacefully," said Guardiola, who is a long-standing pro-independence supported. "It's very simple: watch what happened on October 1. The photos don't lie, the videos don't lie," he said. On referendum day, around 1,000 people were injured after Spanish riot police tried to stop the vote.

Nine Catalan leaders are currently in jail in the Madrid region for alleged crimes of violent rebellion and misuse of public funds. The deposed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont is in a German prison waiting to hear about his possible extradition to Spain, while six other Catalan politicians are fighting their European Arrest Warrants in Scotland, Belgium and Switzerland.

Guardiola was fined by the Football Association for wearing a yellow ribbon in support of Catalan leaders imprisoned. He doesn't wear it anymore, as the FA threatened further action.