Michael GregoritschPlayer·Michael Gregoritsch has won the 2025/26 Milka Fair Play of the Season award after a decisive act of honesty in FC Augsburg’s BundesligaCompetition·Bundesliga match away to Hamburger SVTeam·Hamburger SV. The Austria forward corrected referee Deniz AytekinCoach·Deniz Aytekin after a free-kick was awarded to AugsburgTeam·Augsburg for what appeared to be a foul by Fábio Vieira, prompting the official to overturn the decision.
The incident came in a match that carried competitive tension, but Gregoritsch chose to protect the integrity of the contest rather than accept an advantage. According to the reports, he immediately told Aytekin that there had not been a foul, and Vieira later praised the forward’s response after the game.
The award recognises the most notable fair-play act across Germany’s top two professional divisions in the 2025/26 season, with Gregoritsch selected from six nominated moments. The final decision was shaped by a voting split of 40% fans, 30% clubs and 30% experts, a process that elevated his intervention above the other nominees.
For AugsburgTeam·Augsburg, the recognition reflects more than a single isolated gesture. It highlights a player whose response on the pitch aligned with the broader image the BundesligaCompetition·Bundesliga has been keen to project: competitive football played with clear respect for the rules and the opponent. The league’s official coverage described the moment as one of “true sporting integrity,” while AugsburgTeam·Augsburg publicly celebrated the award as fair play at its finest.
Gregoritsch’s award does not alter standings or qualification races, but it does carry weight in a season where margins are often defined by decisions, discipline and control. In this case, the most significant intervention was not a goal, a tackle or a save, but a refusal to let an incorrect call stand.
The recognition also adds another layer to AugsburgTeam·Augsburg’s current campaign, with Gregoritsch identified in the source material as a centre-forward for the club in 2025/26. His action in Hamburg has now been formally singled out as the season’s outstanding example of fair play, giving the BundesligaCompetition·Bundesliga a headline that reaches beyond the scoreline and into the values the competition wants to defend.
The Austrian national football team, featuring Michael Gregoritsch, before a friendly match. Branislav Racko/IMAGO
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