Giorgio Squinzi wins the “Brera Prize”
Important sport’s gala held at “Dal Verme” Theatre.
Giovanni Luigi Brera known as “Gianni” (born in 1919) was a great journalist and writer. He worked for important Italian newspapers - the Guerin Sportivo (where he was the editor-in-chief), La Gazzetta dello Sport (joint editor-in-chief) and Il Giorno, Il Giornale and La Repubblica newspapers. Gianni Brera was famous for introducing neologisms into the beloved world of football, but he also wrote books on nonsporting subjects. Gianni passed away in 1992 in a tragic road accident. The Brera Prize is organised by the “Navigli Cultural Circle” founded by Giuseppe Zaccheria and currently presided over by Carlo Bozzali. The Brera Prize” - so Mr Bozzali explained - was set up so that good old Gianni’s example, inspiration and values would not be lost as time goes by.
That is why, ever since 2001, our Cultural Club has been awarding accolades to sportsmen and women, who have achieved outstanding results in particularly inspiring ways and have also helped promote sport’s image”. It was mainly the notable achievements of Sassuolo F.C. that convinced the highly-qualified panel of judges to award the “Brera Prize” to Mr Giorgio Squinzi. Sassuolo qualified for the Europa League, eventually getting through to the group stage where the team performed honourably. Mapei is also extremely well-known in the world of sport for the outstanding successes of the international cycling team it sponsored from May 1993 to October 2002.
The boss, Mr. Squinzi, took the stage at Dal Verme Theatre accompanied by Giovanni Carnevali, Sassuolo’s managing director and CEO. “When I used to get home late from high school – so Mr. Squinzi told us after the former canoeing champion, Antonio Rossi, now a Sports Councillor for the Lombardy Region, had handed over the Prize - I would have my lunch and then start reading Gianni Brera’s articles. Brera was one of my heroes”. As well as Mr Squinzi, several other leading personalities were awarded the “Brera Prize” for 2016; they included the football manager Claudio Ranieri, who miraculously won the 2015-2016 English Premier League in charge of Leicester City.
“I have great respect for Mr Ranieri – so Dr. Squinzi went on to say - who I think is the very best football manager at applying science and meticulous planning to training methods”. “Mapei’s boss” was asked plenty of questions about the future of Eusebio Di Francesco, Sassuolo’s manager. Mr Squinzi pointed out that he still has two years to run on his contract with Sassuolo F.C. For him, we are certainly a top team”. Silvio Berlusconi was also awarded a “Brera Prize” for his incredible achievements as president of A.C. Milan over the last 30 years. Due to prior commitments Silvio could not be present at Dal Verme Theatre, so his brother Paolo accepted the award on his behalf in the company of Franco Baresi.
Elisa Balsamo, a prodigious young cyclist, also received a “Brera Prize”. In 2016 Miss Balsamo won the girls’ Junior Road World Championship in Doha that was sponsored by Mapei, as well as the gold medal in the team pursuit and omnium at the Track World Championships in Aigle. The Navigli Club also awarded prizes to amateur sportsmen and women, such as Lodi (roller hockey), Federico Arnaboldi (tennis), Fabiano Basile, who won a gold medal in judo at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and other deserving sportsmen and women.
