The prestigious “Giulio Campanati” International Award was presented to the young French referee François Letexier for his excellent refereeing during the UEFA European Championship Germany 2024. Letexier, who refereed two group stage matches, a Round of 16 match and the final between Spain and England, was presented with the “Giulio Campanati” International Award on the pitch of the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan before the highly anticipated match between Italy and France.
The Campanati Award, established in 2014, is the only international recognition reserved for match officials and is awarded every two years to the best referee of the World Cup or the European Championship. Designed by architect Elena Bellincioni, granddaughter of Giulio Campanati, it celebrates the values of dedication, technical excellence and sportsmanship embodied by the “Presidentissimo” of the AIA, who led the Association from 1972 to 1990. At the opening of the ceremony, Jacopo Ceccarelli, President of the AIA Section of Milan, underlined the importance of the award and the symbolic value of the evening: “This Award represents something unique because it is the only refereeing recognition of international importance. This recognition is not only a tribute to the past, but also a symbol of the generational continuity of our world. Tonight, Letexier will receive the Award from Daniele Orsato, representing a historic and symbolic passage for European refereeing”.
Gabriele Gravina, President of the Italian Football Federation, underlined how the Campanati Award represents a special occasion to celebrate these examples of excellence and pass on their values to future generations. Then, addressing the awardee, Gravina said: “This is a special evening, and I am happy that the Award goes to a very young international referee. François Letexier has demonstrated all his technical qualities. The AIA represents for us a true pillar of our world. I thank the 30,000 Italian referees for everything they do”.
The President of the Italian Referees Association (AIA), Carlo Pacifici, paid tribute to both Giulio Campanati and Cesare Gussoni, remembering them as “two monuments of our Association”. “Gussoni, with his spirit of service, was able to restore dignity and transparency to the AIA at a critical moment. Campanati, on the other hand, embodied the highest moral and ethical values of refereeing, representing for our Association and for all Italian referees a milestone, our past, our present and above all our future”. Pacifici then concluded: “My heartfelt wishes to François Letexier, may this recognition represent one of the many stages of his refereeing career and beyond. This Award represents an important point of reference for being a referee on and off the pitch”.
Then, Daniele Orsato, former international referee and outgoing winner of the Giulio Campanati International Award, announced the new winner of this prestigious recognition.
Visibly moved, François Letexier warmly thanked the Italian Referees Association, the Italian Football Federation and the “Friends of Giulio Campanati” Association. “It is a great honor - he said - to receive this Award. I am aware of its value and its meaning. I am convinced that the Award has a great value for the history of all referees and not only for Italian ones. I am very honored to be among those who have received this Award given the names of the referees who preceded me. When I received the call in which they told me about the Award it was as much a surprise as that of having been appointed for the final of Euro 2024”.
