Leeds United and their manager Marcelo Bielsa have been given the FIFA Fair Play Award after allowing Aston Villa to score in last April's Championship match at Elland Road.
With Villa's Jonathan Kodjia lying injured, the match looked to have halted only for Mateusz Klich to run through the Villa defence and score to put Leeds 1-0 up.
Bielsa then ordered his aide to allow their visitors to equalise immediately, in what was a huge game in their Championship promotion race.
Bielsa wasn't present at the FIFA Best awards in Milan, but the club's fitness coach Benoit Delaval and captain Liam Cooper accepting the award on his behalf.
Delaval read a statement from Bielsa.
"I want to think FIFA and Leeds United and their fans, who did not question my actions," he said.
"They could have claimed that I had to respect the ruling of the official.
"When choosing how to act, the most difficult thing is not to distinguish between right or wrong, but to accept the consequences of doing what corresponds."
In explaining Leeds' win, FIFA said:
"Some residents of planet football consider winning the ultimate. The only purpose of playing the sport. For others though, there are values which need to be held even higher than those which bring victory.
"In April 2019, Marcelo Bielsa and the Leeds United squad were chasing automatic promotion to the English Premier League – a promised land that the side had been chasing since their relegation from the top flight in 2004.
"They faced Aston Villa, and went 1-0 up. However, Mateusz Klich’s goal was scored while a Villa player lay injured. Bielsa ordered his side to allow the opposition to equalise.
"The game finished 1-1, ultimately allowing their promotion rivals Sheffield United to guarantee their automatic spot in the Premier League, at Leeds’ expense.
"At the season’s conclusion, Leeds remained in the division after failing to gain promotion via the play-offs.
"What was at stake makes Bielsa’s act all the more remarkable, with the Argentinean coach and his side receiving the 2019 FIFA Fair Play Award for his side’s commendable act of sportsmanship.
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