Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola’s mother has died after being diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, the English Premier League champions said on Monday.
“The Manchester City family are devastated to report the death today of Pep’s mother Dolors Sala Carrio in Manresa, Barcelona, after contracting coronavirus. She was 82 years old,” City said on their official Twitter handle. “Everyone associated with the club sends their most heartfelt sympathy at this most distressing time to Pep, his family and all their friends.”
The news comes weeks after Guardiola himself made a generous donation of £920,000 (1 million euros) to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic in Spain. He earmarked the money, sent to the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation, to be spent on purchasing medical equipment.
The fund is named after a doctor from Santpedor — the town Guardiola hails from — who died in the 1970s.
The Barcelona medical college said that equipment is in short supply across Catalonia and Guardiola’s generosity will go a long way to easing the strain on health centres. Catalonia is reported to have the most concentrated number of cases in Spain.
Among other Premier League teams, Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton sent their condolences to Guardiola following the sad news.
“Everyone at Spurs sends their deepest condolences. Our thoughts are with Pep and his family at this time,” said the Spurs’ Twitter handle.
City’s archrivals Manchester United too sent their condolences. “Everyone at Manchester United is saddened to hear this terrible news. We send our heartfelt condolences to Pep and his family,” United tweeted.
Guardiola is currently at home in Barcelona following the outbreak, where he has been urging football fans to stay at home in order to reduce the spread of the deadly virus.
“We miss football,” he said. “We miss the life that we had a few days ago, but now is the time to listen, to follow our scientists, doctors and nurses.
“You are my football family and we are going to do everything possible to make you feel better. We’ll come back from this stronger, better, kinder... and a little bit fatter. Stay inside, stay safe,” the 49-year-old said recently.
