Mikhail Gorbachev earned his stripes as the
advocate of Perestroika and Glasnost, but the last President of the
former Soviet Union turned out to be a soccer aficionado who predicted a
2-1 win for Brazil against host Germany in the final of the ongoing
World Cup, UNI reports.
Gorbachev, currently Chairman of Green Cross International, rued that
Russia could not make it to the finals and said he was most impressed by
the Germans. Asked to predict the final result, the 1990 Nobel Prize
winner prophesied Brazil would beat Germany 2-1.
With Geneva being the headquarters of the NGO he is heading, Mr.
Gorbachev saw the France-Switzerland match and had a word of praise for
Zinedine Zidane and Ludovic Magnin.
“I saw France-Switzerland at home on television. It was an important
game for both sides and they looked nervous, which meant the quality of
play suffered. The biggest moment was without doubt when the Swiss hit
France’s post from a free-kick. No player really impressed me, but if I
had to choose one I’d say Magnin for the Swiss and, of course, Zidane
for the French.”
Gorbachev said that Australia would be the surprise package in this
World Cup, while he was impressed with the Dutch fans. “Up until now,
the Germans have impressed me the most. I also thought the Australian
team was physically and mentally strong, and they can cause a surprise
or two. As for the supporters, I like the Dutch a lot. They are always
behind their team, always very sporting and always in a good mood. ”
Gorbachev said he is not new to the game and the first World Cup he
followed keenly was in 1966 in England and he admired Pele. He rated
England’s 3-2 win against Cameroon in the 1990 World Cup as the best
match he has seen.
Opining that soccer can be a binding force for the world, he said,
“Football is not only a wonderful game that unites millions of fans
around the world, it is also a modern symbol of solidarity on account of
its diversity — irrespective of faith, color of skin, political
commitments and affiliations, people are carried away by this beautiful,
emotional and exciting spectacle.”
“I only wish the same solidarity could be achieved for the prevention
and resolution of the environmental problems which both unite and divide
the world today,” he said. |
