London: Paulo Coelho is an author and a very successful one at that. And being a Brazilian he is an ardent soccer fan.
"Brazilians are born with a love for two things, music and football," said Coelho, author of the best seller The Alchemist.
"I should say straight away that, for me, life and football are two very different matters. Generally I'm fairly tolerant, but football and the Brazilian team bring out my prejudiced side."
And that side of him, as he likes to call started in earnest about 48 years ago.
"When I was 10 years old, one of my biggest dreams came true: Brazil won the 1958 WorldCup," Coelho said.
"There was no TV, so we followed the games on the radio and had to imagine what was happening in Sweden."
"There was a carnival atmosphere in Brazil, which for a child was fantastic."
Coelho is yet to attend a World Cup match, but said he would get to see some in Germany this year.
"I'm making up for it this year by going to the opening match, and all the Brazil games,"Coelho said.
"I hope we get to the final."
Coelho began his career in Brazil in the 1970s by founding an alternative magazine and writing music lyrics.
Considered rebellious by Brazil's military government at the time, he briefly went to jail. From there, he says, he was snatched by paramilitaries and tortured.
In 1987, he followed a pilgrimage route between France and Spain, a life-changing experience that inspired his first book, The Pilgrimage: Diary of Magus.
A year later came The Alchemist, an inspirational tale about a shepherd boy.
Other best sellers, including Veronika Decides to Die and Eleven Minutes, followed.
But being a big fan of the Brazil fan hasn't inspired him enough to guess who will lift the trophy on July 9 in Berlin.
"I'm happy to leave predictions to the prophets,"Coelho said.
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