Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, is rarely seen in public and known mostly for the group’s military exploits — but apparently, he’s also a football fan.
In an interview published by Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper today, Nasrallah speaks at length about Israel, Syria and the Palestinians, but also reveals a few personal tidbits, including his longtime love for the beautiful game.
“I love football, and I used to play it with friends,” he tells the newspaper, which is close to his Hezbollah movement.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi, left, battles for the ball with Germany’s Mats Hummels during the World Cup final soccer match between Germany and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, July 13, 2014. (photo credit: AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
In the past, he tells the daily, he used to follow football “for fun and as a change of pace.”
“I supported Brazil most of the time, and sometimes Argentina, particularly during (Diego) Maradona’s time. I liked the way he played.”
Nasrallah says he didn’t watch much of this year’s World Cup, which swept up most of Lebanon in football fever, because of the conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Gaza.
But he says he had watched part of the final that pitted Germany against Argentina “for my son’s sake.”
“Since he was supporting Germany, I decided to support Argentina to create a bit of suspense,” he says. The decision proved to be a misstep: Germany bested Argentina with a single goal in the 113th minute of the final, securing its fourth World Cup title.
— AFP
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