MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER Pep Guardiola has accepted a Football Association (FA) charge for wearing a yellow ribbon, which the governing body deems to be a political symbol and in breach of its regulations.
Guardiola began wearing the ribbon last year in support of Catalan politicians Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, who remain in custody following a crackdown in the aftermath of last October’s referendum on Catalan independence – a poll Spain’s national government deemed to be illegal.
The FA charged Guardiola with a breach of their kit and advertising regulations 10 days ago and, after continuing to wear the ribbon during three subsequent matches, the 47-year-old will now face a hearing.
“Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted an FA charge for wearing a political message, specifically a yellow ribbon, in breach of The FA’s kit and advertising regulations,” an FA statement read.
“A paper hearing has been requested, with a date to be set in due course.”
Former Barcelona boss Guardiola has been a vocal proponent of independence in his home region and put forward his point of view in a news conference last week – likening the pin to those worn to raise awareness for charities and insisting his cause in this instance was humanitarian, not political.
“It’s like, for example, the pink ribbon. It is for breast cancer; it’s not about the right or left, democrat or republican,” he said. “If I bring a red ribbon it is to support the people who have AIDS, it is not right/left.
“The people with yellow ribbons in Catalonia, some of them might be independence people but most of them, maybe not.
“It is not about the political issue – the rights of the people who want to vote, it’s not talking about that.
“I am pretty sure there are people in Catalonia who do not agree about being independent but they do not agree either with people being in preventative jail for more than 140 days.”
That view was rejected over the weekend by Martin Glenn, although the FA chief executive’s response courted unwelcome controversy for which he was forced to apologise.
In defending his organisation’s decision to charge Guardiola, Glenn listed the Star of David and the swastika among political or religious emblems which would break rules if displayed on kits.
“We have re-written Law 4 of the game so that things like a poppy are okay,” he said. “But things that are going to be highly divisive, and that could be strong religious symbols, it could be the Star of David, it could be the hammer and sickle, it could be a swastika, anything like [former Zimbabwe president] Robert Mugabe on your shirt, these are the things we don’t want.”
Glenn, who went on to reference British Eurosceptic political party UKIP and the terrorist Islamic State group in his remarks, issued an apology on Monday after the UK’s Jewish Leadership Council labelled them “offensive” and “ill-judged”.
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Ashley Yonng never came across as the sharpest tool in the box
@Kieran: how is it dumb to keep trying to compete? He’s not saying they’ll be successful , just that he won’t give up trying. Real losers are the ones that quit. What would you do?
@Andrew Keane: thing is, United don’t try and compete. Especially not against good teams. They try not to lose.
@James Doyle: They competed against Chelsea!
@The Bunk: I said good teams….
But in fairness, they were at home against a team that has lost 3 out of the last 4, were beaten by 3 by both Watford and Bournemouth, and even then only “went for the win” with 30 minutes left, and Chelsea still had a goal incorrectly disallowed to equalize. It wasn’t all that great, really.
@Kieran: Tool? Yes. Sharp? No.
Ha.
Easy on the glue there Young ya gimp!
@glenn kilfeather: what do you expect him or anyone else put in that position to say ! Now who’s the ‘GIMP!’
@thatsnotme: Ashley Young
@thatsnotme: Ashley Young?
Playing to win? Is that what he calls turning out Jose’s patented 6-4-0 formation anytime United play a team in the top 6? Playing not to lose may get United tremendous results like a 0-0 at Anfield, or a 2-1 over an out of sorts Chelsea, but it does not a “title challenge” make. United have lost 16 points on Man City in 21 games. They were level after 7. That’s the opposite of “going to win every game”.
Deluded as the rest of them!
@Eoin McCarthy: why is he deluded?
@Andrew Keane: By thinking that United, or any team for that matter, might catch City at this stage.
New story on Young tomorrow, “Ashley Young fails drug test”
Dived in there Ashley
Well you hardly expect them to concede matches do you. Everyone else is playing for top 4 places since before Xmas.
Ah brilliant. You have to love Marlo Stanfields optimism. Hahahhah.
@England’s Envy: Careful now, or Young will get Chris and Snoop to put you up in those vacants.
@Alan J. McKenna: Haahaha McNulty will get their asS
You’re talking shiit Ashley….probably just returning what that bird dumped in your mouth that time though ha!
Clown
Hahahahahahahahaha…..lolololilolololololololol