Premier League: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola calls Raheem Sterling ‘incredible human being’

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has hailed England star Raheem Sterling - who was the subject of alleged abuse last weekned - as an ‘incredible human being’ for confronting the issue of racism in football.

Raheem Sterling was the subject of racial abuse at Chelsea last weekend.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has hailed Raheem Sterling as an “incredible human being” for confronting the issue of racism in football.

Sterling was subjected to alleged racial abuse during Manchester City’s Premier League defeat at Chelsea last weekend.

The player later issued a statement accusing the media of fuelling racism in the way it reports certain stories about black players.

Pep Guardiola was full of praise for Raheem Sterling after a tough weekend.

ALLEGED ABUSE: Sterling centre of attention

Speaking for the first time since, City manager Guardiola said: “I was concerned with what happened but he made a statement on Instagram and was quite clear about his thoughts.

“He’s an incredible person, an incredible human being.

“It’s tough in the 21st century to still be in this position, to have problems with diversity. We have to be better, everyone.”

Guardiola believes racism is a deep problem in society, of which football is reflective, and it must be combated.

“It’s everywhere, racism is everywhere. People focus on football but it’s not just in football. You’d think in football we’d be safe but racism is everywhere,” he said.

“What happens today - how we treat immigrants and refugees, when once in our lives our grandfathers were refugees. It’s everywhere. That’s why we have to fight every day.

“We have to fight for human rights to make a better society for the future. Today it’s dangerous, not just in England, all across Europe.

“The message for the politicians is for them to be tough on human rights and we have to defend democracy in the best way.”

Guardiola also pointed out the media has a crucial role to play.

“Today the real power is the media, not politicians, not the governments. It’s the media.”

Raheem Sterling was the subject of racial abuse at Chelsea last weekend.

A Chelsea supporter has admitted directing abuse at Sterling but said the vitriol was ‘not racist in nature’ after the club suspended four people from Stamford Bridge over the incident.

“I’m deeply ashamed by my own behaviour and I feel really bad,” Colin Wing, 60, was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

Wing said he used an expletive along with the word “Manc” rather than “black”.

“I’ve been going to Chelsea for 50 years now and, because of where I sit, I’m picked up on the camera most weeks. If I had a history of saying this sort of thing I would’ve been caught by now.”

Originally published as Premier League: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola calls Raheem Sterling ‘incredible human being’