Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola was absent from a press conference for personal reasons on Friday, a day after speaking at a charity event in Barcelona in support of Palestinian children.
Guardiola was scheduled to attend a press conference to discuss Manchester City’s upcoming Premier League match against Tottenham this Sunday, but assistant manager Pep Lijnders took his place. Manchester City did not announce reasons for Guardiola’s absence, but he was expected to return to England today and oversee training tomorrow as planned.
Guardiola returns to Manchester City today
Lijnders said: “Guardiola is fine, and as usual, full of ambition and passion, but he was absent due to a personal matter and will return to Manchester today.”
Guardiola previously missed a press conference due to a personal matter last month, with Kolo Touré standing in for him on that occasion.
Lijnders had earlier conducted media interviews on Guardiola’s behalf after Manchester City’s victory in the third round of the FA Cup against Exeter on January 10. Guardiola had watched that match from the stands as he was serving a suspension from the touchline.
– Barcelona stands with Palestine.. A massive artistic event and tribute to the memory of the martyr Hind Rajab
– Guardiola on Marisca’s dismissal: Chelsea lost an amazing manager
It is worth noting that Manchester City reduced the gap with Premier League leaders Arsenal to four points last weekend,
and Lijnders hopes the team can win on Sunday to continue putting pressure on “The Gunners”.
Manchester City
Manchester City is a professional football club based in Manchester, England, founded in 1880 as St. Mark’s (West Gorton). The club moved to its current home, the Etihad Stadium, in 2003 and has since become one of English football’s most successful teams, particularly following its acquisition by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008.
Barcelona
Barcelona is a historic Mediterranean port city and the capital of Catalonia, Spain, with origins dating back to a Roman settlement in the 1st century BC. It is globally renowned for its unique architecture, most notably the fantastical modernist works of Antoni Gaudí, including the iconic yet still-unfinished Sagrada Família basilica. The city’s rich cultural heritage is also reflected in its Gothic Quarter, vibrant festivals, and its status as a major center for art, commerce, and tourism.
Palestinian
“Palestinian” refers to the people, culture, and heritage associated with the historical region of Palestine. This identity is deeply rooted in millennia of history in the area, with a distinct modern national consciousness forming significantly in the 20th century amid regional geopolitical changes. Palestinian culture is expressed through traditions, art, cuisine, and a shared connection to the land.
Premier League
The Premier League is the top level of the English football league system, founded in 1992 when clubs in the Football League First Division broke away to capitalize on lucrative television rights deals. It has since grown into one of the world’s most popular and commercially successful sports leagues, featuring iconic clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal.
Tottenham
Tottenham is a district in North London, historically part of Middlesex, known for its long-standing multicultural community and industrial heritage, particularly in furniture-making and brewing. It is home to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, founded in 1882, which is central to its modern identity. The area also contains landmarks like the Grade II* listed Tottenham Town Hall and Bruce Castle, a 16th-century manor house museum.
England
England is a country within the United Kingdom with a rich history dating back thousands of years, from Roman settlement to its role as the heart of the expansive British Empire. It is renowned for iconic cultural sites like Stonehenge, Westminster Abbey, and the Tower of London, which reflect its layered historical and architectural heritage.
Manchester
Manchester is a major city in northwest England, historically known as a global powerhouse of the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution. Its rapid 19th-century growth, fueled by cotton manufacturing, earned it the nickname “Cottonopolis” and shaped its identity as a center of innovation and trade unionism. Today, it is renowned for its influential music scene, sporting culture, and extensive post-industrial regeneration.
FA Cup
The FA Cup is the oldest national football competition in the world, first held in the 1871–72 season. Organized by The Football Association in England, it is a knockout tournament open to hundreds of clubs across the English league system, famous for its potential for “giant-killing” where small teams defeat much larger ones.
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in southwest England, known for its magnificent Gothic cathedral founded in 1050 and rebuilt from the 12th century onward. Its history dates back to the Roman era when it was established as a fortress called *Isca Dumnoniorum*, and it later became a significant medieval and wool-trading centre.
Palestine
Palestine is a historical and cultural region in the Eastern Mediterranean, with a deeply layered history of Canaanite, Israelite, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, and Ottoman rule. It is central to the Abrahamic faiths and is the homeland of the Palestinian people, whose modern national identity formed amid the 20th-century Arab-Israeli conflict over territory and statehood.
Hind Rajab
Hind Rajab is not a place or cultural site, but the name of a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was tragically killed in Gaza in early 2024. Her death, following a desperate phone call for help, became a prominent international news story highlighting the human cost of the conflict.
Chelsea
Chelsea is a historic and affluent district in West London, known for its association with the arts and the annual Chelsea Flower Show. Its history includes being a fashionable village outside the city since the 16th century and a hub for artists and writers during the 19th and 20th centuries. The area is also home to the Chelsea Football Club, founded in 1905.
Arsenal
The Arsenal of Venice was a historic shipyard and naval depot that served as the heart of the Venetian Republic’s maritime power from the 12th century onward. It was one of the earliest large-scale industrial enterprises in history, famous for its advanced assembly-line production of warships, which secured Venice’s dominance in the Mediterranean for centuries.
The Gunners
“The Gunners” is a common nickname for Arsenal Football Club, a professional football team based in London, England. The club was founded in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal armaments factory in Woolwich, which is the origin of both its official name and its famous nickname. It is one of England’s most successful and storied football clubs.
