Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola leads tens of thousands of Catalans in support of October referendum on splitting from Spain

Daily Mail | June 12, 2017

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola led tens of thousands of demonstrators at a rally in the city in support of the bid for the Catalonia independence referendum.

The revered former manager of Barcelona's football club told the gathered crowd he would be voting for independence on October 1 'even if the Spanish state doesn't want it'.

Carles Puigdemont, leader of Catalonia's regional government, defied Madrid on Friday by setting a date for a binding vote even though the referendum has been ruled illegal by Spain's Constitutional Court.

Pep Guardiola (pictured) addresses tens of thousands of people gathered to demonstrate

Locals greet the Barcelona legend at the pro-independence demonstration in the city

Pep Guardiola, head coach of Manchester City, Carles Puigdemont, President of the Catalan government, and Carme Forcadell, president of the Catalan parliament, assist a pro-independence concentration at Barcelona's Montjuic Fountains in support of the recently announced referendum over Catalonia's independence from Spain in form of a republic

Pep Guardiola carries a clear ballot box to the microphone as he is applauded by supporters

Guardiola said: 'We will vote, even if the Spanish state doesn't want it,' Guardiola told the crowd speaking in Catalan, Spanish and English.