Through just two games with his new club, Bastian Schweinsteiger has already made an immediate impact on the pitch for the Chicago Fire. Now, fans of the Fire and Major League Soccer can show their support for the legendary midfielder by voting him in his candidacy for the German Football Ambassador Award (Deutscher Fussball Botschafter)
The award's presenters describe the initiative as follows:
"Our organization honors German football players and coaches who are currently active abroad. Outstanding performances on the pitch, great social commitment off the pitch and a positive image in the country of presence are fundamental criteria for the nomination."
Schweinsteiger currently stands second in the vote, trailing only Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray). The public voting began on March 15 and will run until April 25. Every voter has three votes to choose their favorite candidates. Previous honorees include Emre Can (2016), Mesut Özil (2015), André Schürrle (2014) and Sami Khedira (2013).
WATCH: Schweinsteiger's memorable Fire debut
The winner will be announced on May 16 at the official award ceremony, which will take place at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. In addition to the public voting award in category “Player 2017”, winners in categories “Coach 2017” and “The Honoree Award” will also be awarded. The initiative is supported by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, Goethe-Institute, Kicker Magazine, Goal.com and many more partners. The winners will receive a prize money, with the aim to support a social project in the country of the player's current club.
