Egypt Coach Reiterates Support for Palestine, Links Human Rights to Football

New York. Egypt's head coach Hossam Hassan has reiterated his support for Palestine. A few days after unfurling the Palestinian flag dedicating the historic knockout win of the World Cup to the Palestinian people, he has once again expressed his solidarity.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Hassan, instead of talking about the upcoming Round of 16 match against Argentina, gave an emotional statement about the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Speaking at the press conference, Hassan said, 'If there is anyone in the world who does not feel the pain of the Palestinian people, they are not human, whether they are Arab, European, or American.' He spoke on this topic for more than four minutes, and many journalists present welcomed his statement with applause.

Even though a ceasefire is said to be ongoing between Israel and Hamas, the killing of Palestinians due to Israeli attacks in Gaza has not stopped. In the war that started on October 7, Israel has killed at least 73,066 people in Gaza, including 20,179 children.

At least 463 of them have died of starvation, including 157 children. More than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are displaced and facing an uncertain future amidst the rubble.

When asked the reason for unfurling the Palestinian flag after registering a historic victory in the penalty shootout against Australia last Friday, Hassan said it was just a 'normal human reaction.' He added, 'If someone harms an animal anywhere in the world, including Europe or America, voices are raised to protect animal rights, and the whole world reacts. But here, it has become normal to hear that two or three thousand people die in a single day due to a single missile.'

Demonstrations in support of Palestine are taking place worldwide against this war, with famous players like Spain's Lamine Yamal also expressing solidarity.

Responding to questions about his team's chances against Lionel Messi and the World Cup-winning Argentina, Hassan spoke at length about Palestine's rights. He said, 'Whatever the religion... before being Arab or anything else, I am a human being. My message through football is: Please, just as FIFA's slogan calls for respect among us, I want the right to life of people to be respected.'

If they defeat Argentina, Egypt will reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time. Stating that there are no limits to his dreams and ambitions, Hassan promised to do his best to meet the fans' expectations. He said, 'We are not a weak team. We are great in every aspect. We are a civilization over 7,000 years old.'

Although admitting that his team is not the strong favorite in Tuesday's match, Hassan made it clear that they are not afraid of the opponents at all. He said, 'We know that we are playing against the World Cup winners and one of the greatest players in history (Messi), but we are not afraid of them. This responsibility helps us focus on ourselves and what we can deliver on the field. We have a responsibility to Egypt, the Arab world, and Africa, and we represent all of them.'