PARIS-Bayern Munich player Sadio Mane was named this Monday as winner of the Socrates Award 2022, for his charity work in the last year.
The Senegalese Sadio Mane became the first footballer to win the Socrates award, created by the magazine 'France Football' to reward social action carried out outside of the life of a footballer.
The Brazilian Rai, Socrates' brother, was the one in charge of giving out the award, and chose to give it to the Bayern Munich player.
"Thank you to everyone, I am very happy to be here, a little intimidated but I am happy to do something for my country's people to improve their lives", the footballer said, who heads up lots of humanitarian aid in Senegal.
"Socrates represents the right morals, democracy, to achieve a better world, and football represents the world we dream of. In my country at the moment, which has a lot of people struggling to make ends meet, I know what Socrates would think,"Rai said, ex-PSG player, referring to the second round of presidential elections in Brazil.
"The Socrates Prize identifies the best social initiative by committed champions," said a statement from France Football magazine, which added the humanitarian award to the 2022 Ballon d'Or ceremony.
The accolade is named after the late footballer Socrates, who co-founded the Corinthians Democracy movement, in opposition to the ruling military government in 1980s Brazil.
Mane, who is the reigning African Footballer of the Year, was also nominated for the Ballon d'Or. He scored 23 goals in his final season as a Liverpool player whilst helping Senegal win their maiden Africa Cup of Nations title, and has since produced nine goals and an assist in 16 competitive appearances for Bayern.
"I'm really happy to be a guest tonight," Mane said. "Sometimes I'm a bit shy, but I'm really happy to do what I can do for my people to make things better. (Agencies).
"Thank you to everyone, I am very happy to be here, a little intimidated but I am happy to do something for my country's people to improve their lives", the footballer said, who heads up lots of humanitarian aid in Senegal.
"Socrates represents the right morals, democracy, to achieve a better world, and football represents the world we dream of. In my country at the moment, which has a lot of people struggling to make ends meet, I know what Socrates would think,"Rai said, ex-PSG player, referring to the second round of presidential elections in Brazil.
"The Socrates Prize identifies the best social initiative by committed champions," said a statement from France Football magazine, which added the humanitarian award to the 2022 Ballon d'Or ceremony.
The accolade is named after the late footballer Socrates, who co-founded the Corinthians Democracy movement, in opposition to the ruling military government in 1980s Brazil.
Mane, who is the reigning African Footballer of the Year, was also nominated for the Ballon d'Or. He scored 23 goals in his final season as a Liverpool player whilst helping Senegal win their maiden Africa Cup of Nations title, and has since produced nine goals and an assist in 16 competitive appearances for Bayern.
"I'm really happy to be a guest tonight," Mane said. "Sometimes I'm a bit shy, but I'm really happy to do what I can do for my people to make things better. (Agencies).