Pep Guardiola has confirmed Spain's Guardia Civil searched his family's private plane looking for exiled Catalan politician Carles Puigdemont.

The former regional president fled to Belgium in October after the national government's crackdown in the wake of an independence referendum it ruled to be illegal.

Spanish media reports claimed the Guardia searched an aircraft belonging to Manchester City manager Guardiola earlier this week when it landed at Barcelona's El Prat airport from Manchester.

Guardiola was not present but his family were on board and he confirmed the widely circulated version of events at a news conference to preview City's EFL Cup final clash with Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday.

"That's something that my wife explained to me. It happened like it's being published in the news," he said.

"The Spanish police, obviously they do their job and have the right to stop a plane and search it.

"It's what happened. My family saw the police searching the plane and that's it."

Guardiola has been vocal proponent of Catalan independence, recording a campaign video for the Junts pel Si party before regional elections in 2015 and speaking at a rally in favour of a referendum on the region's future in July last year.

Since October he has sought to bring attention to the plight of jailed pro-independence politicians Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart by wearing a yellow ribbon at during all City matches and media engagements.