“Champion in the field, champion in life”. With these words, Gianluca Vialli was awarded the International Award “A Lion’s Heart”, established by Stelle in Sport and Ussi with the patronage of Aips, Coni and Cip to commemorate the figure of Gian Luigi Corti, historic sports journalist and Italian manager , with its extraordinary story of passion, commitment and generosity.
In the aula magna of the FIGC Technical Center in Coverciano, Michele Corti (president of Stelle nella Sport, director of the Ussi Yearbook and son of Gian Luigi) and Gianfranco Coppola (President Ussi) presented the award to the Headquarters of the Italian national football team.
«Passion, commitment, generosity and desire to never give up – underlines Filippo Grassia, president of the jury – are the characteristics that have distinguished Gian Luigi Corti, together with those dreams that have always permeated his horizons in sport as in life. These characteristics inspire the birth of the “Un Cuore da Leone” Award, to deliver a particular recognition to those who do not give up in the face of climbs – even the hardest ones – and who always see the possibility of winning a new challenge ». The jury, together with Grassia, who is its president, includes managers, technicians and sports journalists including Valentina Vezzali (Undersecretary for Sport) Giovanni Malagò (President of Cones), Luca Pancalli (President of Cip), Gianni Merlo (President of Aips) and Gianfranco Coppola (President Ussi).
In 2020 the Jury examined and voted on the “stories” of Gianluca Vialli, Monica Contrafatto, Gianmarco Tamberi, Vanessa Ferrari, Gregorio Paltrinieri and Viviana Bottaro. Vialli himself climbed the top step of the podium. «Champion in the field. Star player in life », explains Gianfranco Coppola, summarizing the reason for the award. «Vialli is an example of courage, dignity and fortitude. He encourages everyone to give that little bit more that allows them to face the challenges of life. After many successes as a football player and coach, teacher in his country and in the homeland of the Masters, as the English love to define themselves, certainly the progenitors of football, he has also made himself appreciated as a lucid, polite and at the same time never sloppy commentator. Today in the role of Head of delegation of the national team he confirms his extraordinary leadership made up of care of the locker room, confirming himself as a great example of courage, generosity, passion ».
Sports journalist and executive, gold star of sporting merit, Gian Luigi Corti was national councilor of the Italian Sports Press Union for 25 years (vice president for 4 years) and founder of the Ussi Yearbook. For 16 years he was national manager of the Italian Volleyball Federation (vice-president for 8 years, head of delegation in Los Angeles in 1984 with the victory of the first Olympic medal in blue volleyball), then for 15 years manager of the National Association of Stars for Sports Merit of the Cones. “Genoa was his land, sport was his horizon”, underlines Michele Corti. “Characteristics that I find in Gianuca Vialli who left an indelible mark in Genoa and who, like my father, made passion and love for sport a reason for living”.