The 30th edition of the Fair Play Menarini International Award took place at Florence's Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, celebrating sporting legends who exemplify respect, integrity, and fair play. The event featured a parade of champions including Bebe Vio, Gianfranco Zola, Gregorio Paltrinieri, Diego Milito, and Armand Duplantis, with Federico Buffa sharing captivating stories from sports history.
Champions Share Their Views on Fair Play
Olympic swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri, known for his dominance in open water, expressed his happiness to be at the award. "I'd heard wonderful things about this award from friends and fellow athletes, so I'm really happy to be here this year," Paltrinieri told reporters. He defined fair play as "putting healthy competition ahead of personal results" and described clean sport as "the most beautiful thing in the world."
Diego Milito, the hero of Inter's historic Treble-winning season under José Mourinho, closed the parade. "It's an honor to be here tonight, and I'd like to thank Menarini and the Aleotti family for this opportunity. The most important thing is to be remembered as a good person, someone who shares values that go beyond winning or losing as an athlete. That's how I've tried to live throughout my career," he said.
Football Icons and Their Stories
Football legends Emilio Butragueño and Gianfranco Zola also graced the stage. Zola recalled an extraordinary story from 1994 when he was playing for Parma: an autograph he gave reportedly persuaded a would-be kidnapper to abandon his plan. "When you work ethically and do things the right way, success becomes the natural consequence of your actions. Today we live in a world where results seem to matter more than anything else. We need to change that mindset and focus on doing things well," Zola said.
Pole Vault King and Paralympic Champion
Armand Duplantis, the undisputed king of pole vaulting, attended fresh from his marriage to Desiré Inglander and is already looking ahead to pushing his world records further. Bebe Vio, honored for her commitment to promoting inclusion through Paralympic sport, shared her inspiring message: "If you have a body, you're an athlete—that's what I believe. Mine just happens to be half technology." She also spoke about her Art4Sport Foundation's athletics initiative for children.
A Celebration of Sport's True Values
The 2026 edition of the Fair Play Menarini International Award highlighted the importance of respect, integrity, and fair play in sports, bringing together champions from various disciplines to share their experiences and values.
