Among the public figures who have been outspoken in their support of the Catalan prisoners, Pep Guardiola is possibly the most famous internationally. A former teammate of his from his days at Barça and in the Spanish national side, Alfonso Pérez, has now attacked Manchester City's coach for his political views, telling Radio Marca that "it's one of the great disappointments I've had in the world of football".
Pérez remembers Guardiola as a great teammate, but "the only criticism is his statements, his ideology, which I don't share". "We've been through difficult moments as a team, as friends, defending the Spanish shirt," he added.
Pep Guardiola. Photo: Sergi Alcàzar
"And suddenly, seeing the way he acts against Spain, it shocked me because I feel very proud of being Spanish and defending the national team's shirt, but a fellow player... with whom we've been through and lived these things... it disappoints you a bit," he explained.
Photo: GTRES
"I don't argue with Pep as a person, nor as a coach, nor as a player. He's been super professional. No, [I argue with] his way of thinking in this sense," he concludes.