Catalonia will hold a referendum on October 1 on whether or not to break away from Spain- Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola

On these photos: 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

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

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'.

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

Catalonia, a wealthy region of 7.5 million people in northeast Spain, is fiercely proud of its language and customs, and has long demanded greater autonomy from Madrid.

Puigdemont said Friday that people will be asked to vote on the question: 'Do you want Catalonia to be an independent state in the form of a republic?'

If a majority votes 'yes,' the region's pro-independence government has said it will immediately start proceedings to separate from Spain

But the Spanish government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has vowed to be just as tough this time around as it was in the 2014 vote called by Catalonia's regional president at the time, Arturo Mas, despite it being outlawed by the Constitutional Court.

Mas was later put on trial and banned from holding office for two years.

In February, the Constitutional Court ruled against the latest planned referendum and warned Catalan leaders they would face repercussions if they continued with their project.

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

Spain has a variety of measures available to halt Catalonia's vote, including suspending Puigdemont for disobedience and even taking control of the regional government.

In a bid to circumvent such action, the regional government has drafted a law seeking to extract Catalonia from Spain's legal system.

It is expected to present the bill in the next few weeks to the regional parliament, where pro-independence lawmakers have an absolute majority.

But this too will probably be suspended by the Constitutional Court.

The proposal for the wealthy region to become a breakaway republic sets the stage for months of confrontation with the central government which says such a vote is illegal and must not take place.

Previous secessionist challenges in Catalonia, a populous wealthy region whose capital is Barcelona and which has its own language, were blocked by Spain's conservative government and the Constitutional Court.