Sport Bild Awards ceremony in Hamburg

The 24th annual Sport Bild Awards ceremony was held at the Hamburg Fischauktionshalle, hosted by Esther Sedlaczek and editor-in-chief Henning Feindt.

A central highlight of the gala was the presentation of the ‘Legends Award’ to tennis icon Boris Becker. During the event, Jürgen Klopp delivered an emotional laudation for Becker, noting the tennis player’s significant influence. Becker, a former world number one and six-time Grand Slam champion, acknowledged the support he received from Klopp during his 2022 legal challenges.

In a recognition of lifetime achievements, Uli Hoeneß was honored with the Legends Award for his career as a player and manager, specifically for his role in transforming FC Bayern into a global brand. During his acceptance speech, Hoeneß shared an emotional recollection of the 2014 World Cup, noting that while serving a prison sentence for tax evasion, he watched the final against Argentina alone in his cell. He stated he ‘cried like a dog’ when Bastian Schweinsteiger dedicated the victory to him during a televised interview.

Hoeneß also critiqued the current state of German football, describing the national team’s recent World Cup performance as a ‘Betriebsausflug’ (business trip) and calling for greater discipline. He expressed confidence in new national coach Jürgen Klopp to restore rigor, suggesting that ‘We must learn to work hard again if we want to succeed.’ Additionally, former player Thomas Helmer shared an anecdote regarding a past heated confrontation with Hoeneß during a Champions League match, noting that they have since developed mutual respect.

Other major recipients included Alexander Zverev, who was named Star of the Year, and Harry Kane, named Football Star of the Year. Luke Littler received the World Champion Award, Julia Taubitz was honored with the Olympia Award, and FC Schalke 04 earned the Promoted Team Award.