Atletico Nacional wins FIFA Fair Play Award

Atletico Nacional's graceful sacrifice of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana crown resulted in the club from Medellin, Colombia winning a separate honour.

On Monday, at The Best FIFA Football Awards, Nacional was bestowed with the FIFA Fair Play Award, an honour which "recognises exemplary behaviour that promotes the spirit of fair play and compassion on and off the field." The award was accepted by Juan Carlos de la Cuesta, the Verdolagas' president.

After most of Chapecoense's squad was killed in a plane crash while travelling to Medellin for the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final, Nacional sent a request to CONMEBOL two days later, asking for the Verdao be awarded the title. South American football's governing body obliged.

"We only did what we had to do, which was to recognise a team that didn't have the opportunity to play that final," De la Cuesta said.

Not only did Nacional give up the Copa Sudamericana title, but the club also paid an emotional tribute to the victims of the plane crash, staging a vigil at Estadio Atanasio Girardot two days after the tragedy. The gesture of solidarity was attended by 45,000 spectators, who filled the stadium, held white candles, and chanted: "please remember across the continent, we will never forget the champions Chapecoense."

The victor of the FIFA Fair Play Award was decided by a "special panel of experts," including Gabriel Batistuta, Marta, Howard Webb, Vladimir Petkovic, and Adolf Ogi.