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Zico becomes Thuringia's fair play king: a role model in football!
Zico from 1. Suhler SV becomes fair play king, celebrates sporting fairness and plans to use his prize money to visit home.
Zico becomes Thuringia's fair play king: a role model in football!
In Suhl, where football is lively and colorful, a very special player has stood out: Zakreya Alhadi Alajami Abushrmet, better known as “Zico” from 1. Suhler SV, was named Fair Play King of the Thuringian Football Association (TFV). The decision was announced on July 18, 2025 and is the result of an exciting online voting that runs until July 20. Zico not only impressed with his 33 goals in the season, but also with a remarkable gesture during a game against SG Jüchsen:
It was a memorable match on March 23, 2025, when Zico, after a long ball and with the score 0-1, found himself in a situation that many players would probably have taken advantage of. But Zico, who proudly bears his Libyan roots and lives in Arnstadt, paused and played the ball out to help an injured opponent. With this act of respect and fairness, he underlined his belief that opponents are not enemies and thus created a harmonious sporting atmosphere - something like this is worth its weight in gold for the fair play rating in football.
The path to becoming a fair play winner
Overall, Zico received the most votes in the TEAG “Fair is More” voting and prevailed against strong competitors – Florian Leffler from Floh-Seligenthal and David Thorwarth from Struth-Helmershof. These prizes are more than just a joke: the winner can look forward to 400 euros, while second and third places will receive 200 and 100 euros for their clubs. All participants will also receive a surprise package from TFV. This shows all the more how important fair play is in football - a topic that goes beyond following the rules and promotes values such as respect and team spirit.
As with many sports, where fairness goes hand in hand with fair play evaluations, in football it's not just the goals scored that count. The evaluation takes into account, among other things, the behavior of players and spectators as well as the number of yellow and red cards. This fair play rating helps to create a positive image of football and can even have a direct impact on qualifications for international tournaments. Examples like Japan and Senegal at the 2018 World Cup show how crucial a good fair play rating can be.
A role model for the coming generation
Zico's commitment and his philosophy that fairness and cooperation are essential send a strong message to all young footballers. In a world where the pressure is often high, Zico best shows that you can both score goals and play fairly. After all, football is not just a competition, but also a platform to convey values and promote respect. It remains to be seen how this award will influence Zico's future career, but one thing is clear: his fair playing style is an asset to any club!