Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has accepted a charge from Football Association (FA) for wearing a yellow ribbon, which they believe 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 are in custody after the aftermath of last October’s referendum on Catalan independence.
Guardiola was charged with a breach of their kit and advertising regulations 10 days ago and, after continued to wear the ribbon during three consecutive matches.
“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.”
Guardiola has been vocal on the independence in his home region.
“It’s like, for example, the pink ribbon. It is for breast cancer; it’s not about the right or left, democrat or republican,” Guardiola 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.”
His view was rejected by Martin Glenn, although the FA chief executive’s response and in defending his organisation’s decision to charge Guardiola, Glenn said:
“We have re-written Law 4 of the game so that things like a poppy are okay,”
“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.”
