Pep Guardiola addressed the alleged racist remarks involving Prestianni and Vinícius Jr., insisting racism is everywhere and arguing that real change starts in schools, with teachers and doctors valued above footballers and coaches.
Pep Guardiola broadened the discussion around the alleged racist remarks involving Prestianni and Vinicius Jr. during the Benfica vs Real Madrid Champions League match, using the moment to push a wider message about education, social responsibility, and the way football reflects problems that exist far beyond stadium walls.
Speaking at a Manchester City press conference ahead of the Newcastle match on Saturday, Guardiola did not focus on the specific incident, the clubs involved, or the identities of the players. Instead, he deliberately stepped back from the details and addressed what he sees as the root issue: a culture in which discrimination can still appear in everyday life, including elite sport. In his view, the problem cannot be solved only through statements, punishments, or matchday campaigns, because racism is not confined to football. It is a broader behavioural issue that society must confront consistently.
Guardiola framed racism as something connected to attitudes and power, rather than biology. He argued that skin colour does not make anyone superior and that discrimination often comes from the way people convince themselves they are better than others for different reasons, whether those reasons are social, cultural, economic, or personal. That mindset, he suggested, is learned. And if it is learned, it can also be unlearned, but only if the work starts early and is supported properly.
That is where Guardiola placed the emphasis on schools. He described education as the most effective starting point for meaningful change, because schools shape how young people understand respect, difference, and empathy. His point was not that football has no responsibility, but that football alone cannot carry the full burden of changing society. Players, coaches, referees, and clubs can set standards and apply consequences, but the deep shift happens when children grow up in environments where equality and respect are normalised from the beginning.
Guardiola also used the moment to make a strong argument about values and priorities. He said teachers should be paid more than footballers or coaches, and that teachers and doctors should be the highest paid professionals in society. The message was clearly symbolic, but it also had a practical edge: if society claims education and health are foundational, then it should treat the people who deliver them as essential, valued, and properly supported. In Guardiola view, investing in teachers is part of investing in the kind of behaviour change that reduces discrimination over time.
His decision not to choose sides or name names was consistent with the approach he often takes when asked about sensitive or polarising issues. Rather than commenting on what may or may not have been said in a specific exchange, he focused on principles: condemnation of racism, rejection of superiority narratives, and the need for long term work that goes beyond immediate outrage. That stance can be read as cautious, but it can also be seen as an attempt to keep the conversation centred on solutions rather than escalating a case that authorities and football bodies may still be assessing.
The timing of the comments, coming in a match preview, also highlights how frequently football figures are asked to address social issues in the middle of competitive schedules. Guardiola has repeatedly spoken in the past about football being a mirror of society, and this was another example of that idea. In a sport where emotions run high and global attention is constant, incidents involving alleged discriminatory language can spread quickly and intensify pressure on clubs and institutions to respond decisively.
For Manchester City, the focus of the press conference still included the upcoming Newcastle match, but Guardiola remarks ensured the wider message would travel far beyond team news and tactics. His central point was blunt: racism is everywhere, and football will keep facing these moments unless society treats the underlying behaviour as a serious educational problem, not only a sporting one.
By placing teachers and doctors at the centre of his argument, Guardiola connected the fight against racism to the broader question of what society chooses to reward. For him, real progress requires more than symbolic gestures. It requires resources, consistent education, and a clear message from the earliest ages that dignity and respect are non negotiable, regardless of colour, background, or identity.
