Xavi and Casillas win Príncipe de Asturias Award

Barcelona (FCB).- Xavi Hernández and Iker Casillas became the first footballers to win the prestigious Príncipe de Asturias  Award for Sport this Wednesday when it was announced that they had beaten the International Paralympic Committee in the final vote for the Award. The President of the Jury, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, stressed the values that both players represented, as well as their sporting success with both Spain and their clubs.

The two have enjoyed plenty of success with their respective clubs and also with the Spanish national team, who this summer took the Euro 2012 title. FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who had nominated the pair, stressed the friendship the two players share: “which has contributed to heal the differences between players from different clubs and promote the values of fair play and teamwork as the basis of sporting success”.

First players to win

This is the 32^nd edition of the Award which aims to reward not just sporting excellence, but also sportsmen and women who through their efforts have contributed to the cultivation and distribution of  sport and its values. Although no individual footballers have ever before won the Award, the World Cup winning teams of Brazil(2002) and Spain (2010) were both winners.

Honours

2011 Haile Gebrelassie (Athletics)
2010 Spain national team (Football)
2009 Yelena Isinbayeva (Athletics)
2008 Rafael Nadal (Tennis)
2007 Michael Schumacher (Formula 1)
2006 Spain national team (Basketball)
2005 Fernando Alonso (Formula 1)
2004 Hicham El Guerrouj (Athletics)
2003 Tour de France (Cycling)
2002 Brazil national team (Football)
2001 Manel Estiarte (Water polo)
2000 Lance Armstrong (Athletics)
1999 Steffi Graf (Tennis)
1998 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (Tennis)
1997 Spain marathon team (Athletics)
1996 Carl Lewis (Athletics)
1995 Hassiba Boulmerka (Athletics)
1994 Martina Navratilova (Tennis)
1993 Javier Sotomayor (Athletics)
1992 Miguel Indurain (Cycling)
1991 Sergei Bubka (Athletics)
1990 Sito Pons (Motorbike)
1989 Severiano Ballesteros (Golf)
1988 Joan Antoni Samaranch (President IOC)
1987 Sebastian Coe (Athletics)