Guardiola paid to refloat NGO migrant rescue ship Open Arms
The charity group's founder, Òscar Camps, confirmed the Manchester City boss and "other athletes" dug into their own pockets to keep vessel afloat.
Pep Guardiola paid out of his own pocket to help refloat the vessel Open Arms, the main operational boat of the not-for-profit charity Proactiva Open Arms, which operates in the Mediterranean and carries out search-and-rescue missions to help migrants attempting to cross into Europe to flee war zones, persecution and poverty.
Open Arms had been in dry dock in Italy for several weeks in need of serious repairs and the charity launched an appeal for funding to make the vessel seaworthy again with the summer generally the peak period for migrants to attempt the hazardous journey from North Africa to various points in Europe, often in barely serviceable and makeshift small boats.
"Guardiola came to us and offered €150,000 out of his own pocket"
Speaking on Catalan regional radio station RAC1 on Tuesday, the founder of Badalona (Barcelona)-based Proactiva Open Arms, Óscar Campos, confirmed that the Manchester City manager had made a personal donation to the cause. “Guardiola came to us and offered us a donation of 150,000 euros from his own pocket,” Camps said, adding that “the support of various others athletes who also wanted to contribute helped us to achieve the goal of making the vessel active again.”