The best scorer in the history of the World Cup Miroslav Klose received the award of the President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the press service of the organization reports.
The prize is awarded for outstanding achievements, high professionalism and exceptional personal qualities. The award was presented to Klose during the Champions League group stage draw, which took place on 31 August in Monaco.
“Throughout the glorious history of football, few have had an aura of excellence that is hard to replicate. Miroslav Klose is one of those players. Klose's journey, from an early humble player to the top scorer in World Cup history, is a testament not only to determination and skill, but also to a sporting spirit that pushes the boundaries of professionalism and the sport itself. His behavior and determination to stand up for what is right serve as an example for many generations of athletes around the world,” said UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.
In 2005, the striker, who played for Werder Bremen, collided in the penalty area with Arminia goalkeeper Matthias Hein. The goalkeeper received a yellow card, and Arminia received a penalty in his own net. However, Klose insisted that the goalkeeper played the ball and the penalty should be cancelled. The referee subsequently reviewed the game moment and canceled the penalty and a yellow card.
In 2012, as a Lazio player, Klose opened the scoring with a header at the start of the match against Napoli, but the striker told the referee that he helped himself with his hand to deflect the ball past the opposing goalkeeper. This led to the cancellation of the goal.
Klose became world champion with Germany in 2014, with 16 World Cup goals.
