Pep Guardiola's famous cardigan auctions for £6,000
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has raised £6,000 for the club’s charity by auctioning his famous matchday hooded cardigan.
The Premier League winning manager announced after this season’s FA Cup final he would give away his "coatigan" – worn on the touchline through the club’s highs and lows – to raise money for City in the Community.
The money raised will help to fund the charity’s healthy food provision, which provides free meals to participants of the free school holiday community programmes.
It’s part of City in the Community’s wider aim to support families in Manchester during school holidays.
The 48-year-old said he was "delighted that this auction has raised so much for City in the Community" and thanked "everyone who has donated for such a great cause.
“It is also fantastic to be able to give something personal to the fans whose support helped us achieve incredible success last season.”
The winner of the hooded cardigan is James Hodge, who lives in the USA and will receive his very own Guardiola memento from the 2018/19 season.
Mike Green, head of City in the Community, said: “The response to the auctioning of Pep Guardiola’s cardigan has been fantastic, and we are delighted to see this incredible amount raised for City in the Community.
“We want to say a huge thank you to all the people who donated and to Pep for supporting us in this way.
“City in the Community’s free holiday football programme provides a fun environment for children across Manchester to keep active during school holidays.
“The addition of a free meal during the sessions helps us further support families in the local area, giving them access to healthy food in addition to exercise.
“These donations will go a long way to ensuring we can continue this provision throughout the summer and into next season.”