Fair play prize for Klose

Rome, Oct 17 (IANS/RIA Novosti): A fair play award was presented to Germany international Miroslav Klose by the German Football Association after the Lazio striker admitted he had scored a goal with his hand.

In Lazio’s game against Napoli in Serie A last month, Klose opened the scoring from a corner in the fourth minute using his arm.

He admitted the handball to the referee after Napoli players protested and Lazio went on to lose the game 3-0.

“The referee asked me whether I had touched the ball with my hand. I admitted I had,” Klose had said after the match.

“I did it because many young people watch television and I must show them a good example.”

Klose won a similar award in 2005 when he played for Werder Bremen.

He asked the referee to cancel a penalty in a game against Bielefeld because he fell in the area after the goalkeeper claimed the ball.

Klose has been capped by Germany 125 times since 2001 and has scored 65 goals. The 34-year-old joined Lazio from Bayern Munich last year and has scored five goals in seven appearances this season.