Gianluca Vialli receives the “A Lion Heart” award.

Recognition for the head of the national team delegation

Gianluca Vialli is the winner of the “Un Cuore da Leone” award established and awarded by Stelle nello Sport and Ussi with the sponsorship of Aips, Coni and Cip. The award is dedicated to the figure of Gian Luigi Corti, a historic sports journalist and Italian national team manager, and honors personalities capable of distinguishing themselves through their personal stories for their passion, commitment and generosity.

In the aula magna of the Figc Technical Center in Coverciano, it was Michele Corti (Stelle nello Sport president, Ussi Yearbook editor and Gian Luigi’s son) and Gianfranco Coppola (Ussi president) who presented the award to the head of the national soccer team delegation.

Chaired by Filippo Grassia, the Jury was joined by important managers, coaches and sports journalists including Valentina Vezzali (Undersecretary for Sport) Giovanni Malagò (President coni), Luca Pancalli (President Cip), Gianni Merlo (President Aips) and Gianfranco Coppola (President Ussi). Gianluca Vialli was presented with a work of art created by La Spezia painter Nicola Perucca.

“Passion, commitment, generosity and the desire to never give up,” said Filippo Grassia, “are the characteristics that have distinguished Gian Luigi Corti, along with those dreams that have always permeated his horizons in sports as in life. These characteristics inspire the birth of the ‘Un Cuore da Leone’ (A Lion’s Heart) Award, to give special recognition to those who do not give up in the face of climbs – even the hardest ones – and who always glimpse the possibility of winning a new challenge.”

“Vialli is an example of courage, dignity and strength of spirit,” added Gianfranco Coppola. “He is an incentive for everyone to give that extra something that allows one to face life’s challenges. After his many successes as a footballer and coach, a master in his country and in the homeland of the Masters, as the English like to call themselves, certainly the progenitors of football, he was also appreciated in the role of a lucid, polite and at the same time never corny pundit. Today in the role of Head of the National Team he confirms his extraordinary leadership made of care of the locker room, confirming himself as a great example of courage, generosity, passion.”