Nick Woltemade awarded Fair Play Medal by German Football Association | OneFootball

Newcastle United forward Nick Woltemade was presented with the German Football Association's Fair Play Medal during the German national team's public training session in Wolfsburg on Monday afternoon.

Woltemade earned the award for his actions following VfB Stuttgart’s 4-2 DFB-Pokal final victory over Arminia Bielefeld on May 24 – his first major title.

While his teammates immediately started celebrating after the final whistle, Woltemade went over to the opponents, recognising the 3. Liga side for their remarkable run to the final

In doing so, the 23-year-old “showed maturity and compassion,” the DFB wrote. 

“Instead of immediately joining the celebrations, he first sought out the Arminia Bielefeld players, gave them high-fives, embraced them, and offered words of encouragement – a sign of true sportsmanship after an exciting final.”

DFB Vice President and Fair Play jury chairman Ronny Zimmermann added:

“Football lives on emotion, but also on respect, decency and fairness.

"Nick Woltemade, in a moment of triumph, put his teammates and opponents at the center, not himself. Gestures like these are what distinguish our sport and make it more than just a game.”

Woltemade said he simply wanted to congratulate the Bielefeld players on their remarkable season. 

“I think it was the right thing to do. I still had plenty of time to celebrate with the fans, my family and my team. But I wanted to congratulate each individual personally.”