Pep Guardiola has expressed a belief that teachers should be paid more to combat racism, following an incident involving Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr in midweek.
The Brazil international alleged that he’d been racially abused by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, who has strongly denied any wrongdoing, during Tuesday night’s Champions League tie.
UEFA is investigating the match, with the governing body confirming they were launching a probe to determine what exactly happened.
Guardiola, speaking ahead of City’s showdown with Newcastle on Saturday, has now had his say.
In his press conference, the Spaniard said: “I said the week before. Not for where you were born or for the colour of your skin make us better or worse.
“There is a lot of work still to do. It is in the society, it is not [just] in football.
“Racism is everywhere. You pretend that racism is just for the colour of the skin? How you behave is racism. It’s how you pretend you are better than the other one just for many reasons.”
Gianluca Prestianni hid his face while speaking with Vinicius Jr in Benfica’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid | GETTY
When asked how the situation could be improved, he added: “The schools. Pay a lot to the teachers. That’s how you deal with it.
“In the schools, not in football. The teachers and the doctors have to be the best, the most important people in society, by far.
“Not the managers.”
Football clubs with the most Champions League titles | GETTY
Meanwhile, City will go into their match with Newcastle sensing blood.
Arsenal have started to wobble in the title race, with the Gunners drawing 2-2 with Wolves on Wednesday night – consequently missing out on the chance to move seven points clear at the top of the table.
Many are backing City, who have won six crowns since Guardiola took over from Manuel Pellegrini in 2016.
However, Guardiola has downplayed the theory that experience could be pivitol.
“Seventy per cent of the players are new, so they don’t have the experience to live these kinds of situations,” he insisted.
“An experience is to win tomorrow. It is only one.”
Pep Guardiola has insisted he’s not talked about Arsenal ahead of Man City’s clash with Wolves
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PAOn whether he’s talked about Arsenal with his squad, he continued: “I didn’t talk about that for one second. Just Newcastle, Newcastle, Newcastle.
“I didn’t talk about the table, or our position or something like that. I could not care less. It’s 12 games [still to play].
“If you ask me this question with two or three games left, I will have your answer. It’s 12 games left, it’s an eternity.
“Twelve [more] games is a lot, like I said before. So Newcastle is my only concern.
“We will be concerned about the League cup final against Arsenal when it is coming up, but for now it is Newcastle, a rest and after it Leeds. It has always been like that.
“As a journalist, I understand you want to anticipate what is going to happen. That doesn’t count. It is Newcastle, that is all.”
