Guardiola stars in new Play Smart campaign ahead of City installation of Xylem Vue | OneFootball

Manchester City and Xylem have today launched a powerful new campaign starring Pep Guardiola, showcasing the power of technology and innovation in reducing water waste ahead of the installation of the club’s new digital water platform, Xylem Vue.

Forming part of the wider 'Play Smart' campaign, the video released in partnership with Xylem follows men’s first-team manager Pep Guardiola as he highlights the need for collective action to tackle global water problems and the effectiveness of advanced water irrigation technology.

The 'Play Smart' campaign, developed in partnership with Xylem, was first launched last year in an effort to encourage fans around the world to take action on water by adopting smart water-saving behaviours at home.

Set at the City Football Academy and Etihad Stadium, the video captures the club’s passion for integrating data analytics into football and the parallels shared between this and utilising innovative water solutions to achieve sustainability goals.

WATCH: Pep Guardiola | Xylem Vue

As Guardiola explains the importance of having ‘vision’ to adapt and anticipate both on and off the pitch, he introduces ‘Xylem Vue’, a landmark new digital water platform from Xylem that transforms water management to reduce waste and maximise system performance.

The installation of Xylem Vue at the City Football Academy will further support existing rainwater harvesting for pitch irrigation projects.

The digital platform uses connected sensors and smart meters to deliver live insights into how water moves across the training facility.

Showing exactly when and where water is being used or lost across the 16.5-pitch campus, the system helps the club make smarter decisions to optimise irrigation and reduce its reliance on public water sources.

Natural grass pitches can use up to 23,000 litres of water per day in peak summer.

For years, Manchester City has been committed to sustainable water practices, using harvested rainwater and recycling for irrigation across the Etihad Stadium.

By doing so, the club has already saved more than 50 million litres and is on track to halve its potable water use this year.

“This new system will give us a clear picture of how water moves across the site – not just how much we use, but where it comes from and where it goes,” said Pete Bradshaw, Director of Sustainability at Manchester City.

“These insights will help us to make smarter decisions every day. Our goal is to capture and reuse 100% of stormwater runoff on site by mid-2026, and we’re well on our way.”

“This is smart water in action,” said Jaime Barba, Head of Xylem Vue.

“With connected data and real-time insights, Manchester City is making every drop count – saving water, using it more wisely, and protecting supply for the local community. It’s a scalable model for urban water management.”