Germany striker Miroslav Klose on Tuesday received a fair play prize from the German Football Federation (DFB) after admitting a goal he had scored last month in the Italian league was a handball. The 34-year-old, who has scored 65 times for Germany in 125 appearances, won the award after informing the referee a goal he had scored for Lazio against Napoli in Serie A at the end of September had hit his hand first.
After Klose's confession, the referee cancelled the goal as Lazio went on to lose the match 3-0 at Napoli. The German was praised by his opponents on the pitch and later by the Italian media for his honesty. "The referee asked me if the ball had hit my hand," said Klose, who will play in Germany's World Cup qualifier against Sweden at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on Tuesday. "I admitted it had and, for me, that was the obvious thing to do. "There are so many young people who sit in front of the television, that we should set a good example."