Polish international Piotr Zieliński has been honoured at the 31st edition of the Premio Gentleman gala, which celebrates fair play in Italian football. The Inter Milan midfielder received the “Gentleman Inter” award and a statuette for scoring the most beautiful goal in last season’s Serie A, according to Polsat Sport.
The Premio Gentleman ceremony has been held annually since 1996. Its main purpose is to recognise players who have demonstrated exceptional fair play, loyalty, honesty and professionalism throughout the previous season, both on and off the pitch.
Stunning volley against Verona
Zieliński’s award-winning goal came during Inter’s 2-1 victory over Hellas Verona on 2 November 2025. Turkish midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu delivered a corner kick, and the Polish player struck a first-time volley that flew into the top corner of the net.
“Hakan gave me a wonderful ball, and I did what I had to do. It was a beautiful volley. This statuette also belongs to Hakan, because his cross was exceptional,” Zieliński said after receiving the award.
Title race and Champions League ambitions
The current Serie A season is shaping up to be highly competitive. After five rounds, three clubs sit level on 13 points: defending champions Inter, Lazio and AS Roma.
“We will try to win as many matches as possible and we hope to win the Scudetto again. We will certainly be fighting with Roma, Napoli, Juventus, Milan and Como,” the Polish midfielder said.
The 32-year-old, who has won 113 caps for Poland, also spoke about Inter’s European ambitions. “We have a dream: to win the Champions League. We know it won’t be easy, but we will give our all and see where we end up. In the Champions League we want to show our quality, and we have plenty of it. We want to achieve a better result than last year. We have a very strong squad, so we can reach the final,” he said.
What this means for Poles in the UK
Piotr Zieliński’s success at one of Italy’s most prestigious football clubs continues to raise the profile of Polish players abroad. For Polish communities in the UK, his achievements provide a point of pride and demonstrate the calibre of talent emerging from Poland’s national football programme. Those following the Serie A season can watch Inter Milan matches on BT Sport, which holds UK broadcasting rights for Italian top-flight football. Zieliński’s recognition for fair play and technical excellence offers an inspiring example for young Polish footballers training in the UK’s grassroots and academy systems. His journey from Polish youth football through clubs including Udinese and Napoli to one of Europe’s elite teams shows the pathway available to talented players willing to develop their careers abroad.