Guardiola upset by events in Catalonia and critical of the government
The Manchester City coach spoke on Sunday night after a difficult day
"I would not have played the Barcelona-Las Palmas match," he said
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola could not hide his indignation at events in Catalonia on Sunday. The former Barça boss said he was "saddened" by the images seen across the world and was critical of the Spanish president, Mariano Rajoy.
Interviewed by Catalunya Radio and RAC1, here are some of his quotes:
"The president must answer the questions, as he is still the president of all Spaniards. Things aren't like they were before, the laws are different to 30 years ago. Everything changes."
"Why don't we learn from the British, who have been democratic for many more centuries than us? On top of it all, we don't even know if Catalonia does or does not want to be independent. There are people that want to take the step, others that think its madness. Governments are there to listen to the people. Not to make violence."
"El Pais say that we attacked the police. With what? With votes? It was the opposite. The police injured people with rubber bullets, which are illegal in Catalonia. They broke one woman's fingers. Spain will hide the reality, but the rest of the world's media will show it."
"I would not have played the [Barcelona-Las Palmas] match. And if it did have to be played, then it should not have been behind closed doors. It should have been with supporters.
"There are 600 people injured at their polling stations. Websites were shut down, everything was shut down. Why not let the people express themselves? In Britain they voted on Brexit, on Scottish independence..."
"We don't want them to think that we dislike Spain. Spain is an incredible country, with its literature, sport and cities. But there is a need to understand that there is a population which wishes to decide its own future."
