© EuroFootball.com
On Monday, an official "Laureus" sports awards ceremony took place in the city of Barcelona, where the best athletes of 2006 were honored.
The awards, presented for the eighth time, are often referred to as the unofficial "Oscars" of the sports world. The award for the best athlete of the year was won by the first world tennis racket, Swiss Roger Federer, and the world record-breaking pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, but the ceremony also featured football.
The prize for the best team of the past year went to the men's national football team of Italy, the World Champion. Coached by Marcello Lippi, the "Squadra Azzurra" defeated France in the final after a dramatic battle and lifted the World Champions' trophy after a 24-year hiatus.
A symbolic World Cup team included as many as 7 Italian footballers - Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Luca Toni, Francesco Totti, and Gianluca Zambrotta. In addition, G. Buffon also received the Lev Yashin Prize, awarded to the best goalkeeper in the world championships.
The "Spirit of Sport" award was given to the European and Spanish champions of 2006 - "Barcelona".
A special prize was awarded to the Catalonia superclub for their support in the fight against child poverty. Last September, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Barcelona President Joan Laporta and UNICEF Director Ann M. Veneman signed a five-year partnership agreement. According to it, the Catalan club will donate 1.5 million euros annually to the fight against child poverty worldwide.
"Barca" once again showed what a powerful weapon sports can be in the fight against poverty, and together we will give hope to thousands of children. UNICEF is an invaluable partner in this endeavor," said A. M. Veneman.
One of the special prizes for footballing achievements and for organizing the excellently hosted World Cup in Germany last year was awarded to German football legend Franz Beckenbauer.
