World Cup hooliganism has spread to the Middle East _ in a small way, at least. After Italy beat Germany 2-0 in the semifinals, rival fans in Beirut fought each other with bottles, sticks and chairs, and seven people had to be treated in hospital, Lebanese security officials said Wednesday.

The officials said five Sunni Kurds and two Shiite Muslims were injured in the fracas in the mainly Muslim neighborhood of Basta shortly in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Police intervened to restore calm to the area and took the injured to hospital, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media. None of the injuries was serious.

Kurdish minorities in Lebanon are known to be staunch supporters of Germany because of a large Kurdish community in that European nation.

Brazil, where several million people are of Lebanese descent, has strong support in Lebanon, particularly among the Shiites. Italy, Argentina, England and France, the former colonial ruler with strong ties among Lebanon's Christians, also have loyal fans.

Angered by the Brazilian team's unexpected defeat to the French last week, its fans apparently vented their spleen against German supporters on Tuesday night by setting off fireworks in green, red and white,the colors of the Italian flag, for more than an hour.

Fireworks by World Cup fans set two cars ablaze in Beirut last week.

Lebanon, a small country at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, did not qualify for the World Cup, but soccer is popular there.

Major international competitions draw large audiences, and many Lebanese hang the national flags of teams they support from balconies. Large screens have been set up in many cafes and night spots to follow the World Cup, and fans often driving around in motorcades to celebrate a victory.