"I keep thinking about Spartak Moscow," he told Esquire.ru when asked what he does when partners "do not hear" him.
Spartak Moscow is a prominent Russian football club which has celebrated its 95th anniversary. Sergei Lavrov is a die-hard football fan.
On April 16, Lavrov went ecstatic witnessing his favorite football team Spartak's triumph over their bitter rival Zenit from Saint Petersburg. After the game he entered the team's cloakroom where he took a photo with left lateral Dmitry Kombarov as well as the whole squad.
But Lavrov doesn't just watch football. Last March, he played the game himself during a match devoted to the establishment of Russia's Popular Football League — an amateur tournament for people over 45.
Лавров повредил руку во время игры в футбол pic.twitter.com/MgL1127YP8
— Виктор Мамайкин (@LKBerzini) 6 июня 2016 г.
Сергей Лавров сыграл в футбол с Евгением Плющенко https://t.co/WkXAqESxRL pic.twitter.com/6880aA6vH7
— РЕН ТВ | Новости (@rentvchannel) 4 июня 2016 г.
This is how the top diplomat scores goals.
Lavrov also revealed his tastes in music.
"I like folk, jazz. I like [prominent Russian saxophonist Igor] Butman's performances. And I like The Beatles, of course. And [Frank] Sinatra," he added.
As for poetry, the minister prefers Sergei Yesenin and Alexander Blok, who lived in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century during a period known as Silver Age, and Vladimir Vysotsky, whose star shone in the late Soviet Union.
P. S. Given Spartak's seven-point lead with only five games left in the premier league, Sergei Lavrov probably hopes to receive a huge emotional booster in May, when the tournament ends, as the team has not won the title since 2001.
