Manchester, thugs in action: before the derby the Guardiola mural near the Etihad is smeared again

Thugs took advantage of the derby to smear a mural depicting the coach of the Citizens, Pep Guardiola, on the wall of a house near Etihad. And the fact that it was done for charity didn’t stop the vandals either

Football is all about rivalry and nothing brings this feeling to light like a derby. When two teams from the same city meet, the tension can skyrocket and it can even hit where you least expect it. This is the case of the Manchester derby, which even before the start of the match, then won 6-3 by the City with triplets from Haaland and Foden, caused a wound to the urban decor. As the Manchester Evening News, someone took advantage of the opportunity to smear a mural depicting the coach of the Citizens, Pep Guardiola, on the wall of a house near Etihad. And the fact that it was done for charity didn’t stop the vandals either.

Guardiola’s face was smeared with red paint and next to the Catalan’s face the initials MUFC, identifying United, appeared, alongside the dates of the three Champions League won by the Red Devils (’68, ’08 and ’99). All this almost to … mock the fact that Pep at City still hasn’t managed to win the big-eared cup once. Too bad, however, that the mural was not only intended to celebrate the coach. As he told the city newspaper, Mr. Lesley Kelly, owner of the house, contacted artist Mark Silver to create the artwork. His goal was to raise money that would then go to both local and national charities. This is why the anger for what happened is very high.

“It’s so frustrating … Some stupid thugs did it again, a neighbor managed to yell at them and they quickly drove off on their bikes. This has nothing to do with football, it’s vandalism, which is just idiocy. United fans came to us and told us that it doesn’t make anyone angry, that the mural is here to help the community and to make everyone happier. We did it to raise money and to increase the attention on really important causes “. Yet, as Mr. Kelly explained, it’s not even the first time this has happened. About ten days ago someone had written MUFC in green paint on the mural within hours of its creation. In any case, the vandalism certainly did not bring good, given how the derby ended …