The “German Football Ambassadors 2020” are Anja Zivkovic (main category), Robin Gosens (public award) and Leon Goretzka & Joshua Kimmich (honorary award).

The internationally active football coach Anja Zivkovic prevailed in the finals against Uwe Rösler and Robert Jaspert by jury decision. Due to the Corona pandemic, the award could not be presented at a gala for the first time.Just like the winners of the other categories, Robin Gosens (Audience Award) and Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka (Honorary Award), Anja Zivkovic received her award by post and thanked by video message:

Roland Bischof, founder of the German Football Ambassadors Association, said: “Normally, our big award ceremony takes place annually at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. But these days everything is different and so unfortunately the winners were only able to receive their awards now – and without an audience.

Also nominated: Robert Jaspert and Uwe Rösler.

Nominated for the main award in 2020 were Anja Zivkovic (“I am stunned – a very great honour”), coach Robert Jaspert, who works in Lebanon for Safa Beirut SC, and Uwe Rösler, currently coach of Fortuna Düsseldorf, who was extremely popular during his coaching stints in England, Norway and Sweden. All three candidates were selected for their outstanding work abroad, where they have made a special contribution to sporting and social development in their countries of activity and have thus been committed to Germany’s positive image in the world.

Anja Zivkovic: Project-related active in more than 50 countries.

This year, the top-class jury of experts chaired by kicker editor Rainer Holzschuh chose Anja Zivkovic (DFB, FIFA and UEFA instructor, coach and analyst), who, like Monika Staab (German Football Ambassador 2014), travels the world on a project basis for women’s football. She has already visited over 50 countries, including India, Jordan, Tonga, Azerbaijan, Lithuania and Palestine. With her prize money, she would like to support a special “girls’ football project” in the Indian region of Haryana. Anja Zivkovic: “Girls have a particularly hard time in this region. But this project specifically promotes girls’ football and even organises girls’ football tournaments with modest means – without the help of a social organisation, but solely with the help of the villagers.” A joint visit to the project is now planned by Anja Zivkovic and Roland Bischof, the president of the German Football Ambassador, for 2021 to draw attention to the commitment, to honour it and to hand over the prize money on site.

The other two nominees also donate their prize money to charitable projects: Robert Jaspert to the Lebanese association Mabarrat-Waisenkinderprojekt e.V., which he visited again in this context a few weeks ago, and Uwe Rösler to a social institution in Manchester to give something back to his “second home”.

Robin Gosens: With great goals and commitment

Robin Gosens, who experienced the outbreak of the Corona pandemic in the Italian epicentre Bergamo in all its harshness, was already voted by the football fans in an online vote a few months ago as the winner of the public award and thus as the successor to Marc-André ter Stegen. The fans not only honoured his extremely successful performances on the pitch, which allowed him to celebrate historic successes for the city with Atalanta Bergamo, but also his modest and helpful behaviour off the pitch.

Gosens is currently the German international with the most unusual career, having spent almost all of his time abroad (Italy, Netherlands) as an ambassador for German football. When he had to choose between the national teams of the Netherlands and Germany, he chose the German national team, for which he successfully made his debut in September 2020.

In addition, Gosens is also committed off the pitch and decided to use his prize money for a social project in Zambia, which he also plans to visit in person after Corona.

Robin Gosens: “I am gigantically happy about this award because it comes from the football fans. I will give my prize money to a project of the children’s aid organisation Plan International in Zambia, where I am already involved. Thank you very much to everyone who voted for me; it means an incredible amount to me.”

Maike Röttger, chairwoman of the board of Plan International: “It is really nice to see the sincere interest Robin Gosens has in supporting children in the field of sustainability. We are very happy with him about his award.”

Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka: Initiators of #WEKICKCORONA.

The honorary prize was awarded to Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka by the top-class jury consisting of Doris Fitschen, Rainer Holzschuh (chair), Horst Hrubesch, Lutz Pfannenstiel, Dr. Martin Schäfer and Berti Vogts. Both players were honoured as representatives of the commitment of numerous football players in times of the Corona crisis. As initiators of the project, which has already collected over five million euros for social causes, they were delighted to receive the award and promised to continue helping.

Joshua Kimmich: “It is something special to be awarded for something that is not directly related to football and your own performance. We are happy and grateful that we, on behalf of all those who have joined us and entrusted us, can continue to help with #WeKickCorona in this difficult phase.”

Source ©FCB: Video Note of Thanks