The Spanish provinces supported Palestine. Three days after the first friendly match held in Bilbao between the Basque Country selection team and the Palestinian national team that brought together more than 50,000 spectators in the stands of San Mamés, the second peace meeting will be held this Tuesday at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, this time against Catalonia.
A meeting that will be attended by Pep Guardiola, Barca legend and Catalan icon, from the stands. Interviewed by local radio RAC1 This Monday, the Manchester City coach admitted that he supported the event. “This is a match that is about more than just symbolism,” he said. “Thanks to this match, Palestine will see that part of the world is thinking about them,” said the 54-year-old technician, regretting the situation in the Gaza Strip.
“Damage has been done and cannot be repaired”
“The world has abandoned Palestine. We have done absolutely nothing. It is not their fault that they were born there. We all let them (Israeli leaders) wiped out the entire people. “The damage has been done and cannot be repaired,” he complained to Catalan media.
This friendly match is hosted by the platform ACT X PALESTINEwhich brings together several NGOs who want to work for the defense of human rights in Palestine, has attracted more than 25,000 spectators with a total capacity of 55,000 seats. The funds collected will be donated to humanitarian aid and will also be used for Gaza reconstruction. “Symbolism helps raise awareness,” Guardiola analyzed, but called for “more concrete action.”
“I don’t believe in these leaders”
“I can’t imagine anyone in the world who could defend the massacre in Gaza,” he said, highly critical of the leaders of major powers. “Our children can be killed there just because they were born there. I don’t believe these leaders. They are ready to do anything to stay in power,” he stressed.
Determined to support the Palestinian cause, the Citizens coach hopes that the confrontation between Catalonia and the Canaanite Lions will have a positive impact. “There is always a reason to demonstrate, in this case at a football match. Of course it is symbolic, but the most important thing is that the Palestinian people can say that, for a moment, we were here and this stadium gave them joy. »
As a reminder, most of the Palestinian team members live far from their country, ravaged by years of war, especially since October 7, 2023 and Israel’s response to Hamas attacks.
This Saturday, in Bilbao, the selection played the first match in its history on European soil, a meeting full of emotions, especially for the Gaza-born coach Ehab Abou Jazar. “For the first time in my life, I cried when the national anthem was sung, and it had to happen here, at San Mamés. I have no words to express what I feel, this day will last forever,” he said after the match.
