The inaugural award, given at the "Oscar del Calcio AIC" ceremony, was presented after the conclusion of the 1996–97 Serie A season to Roberto Mancini. The following edition was won by Brazilian footballer Ronaldo; during his first season with Inter Milan, he scored the second-most goals in Serie A, and the most in the UEFA Cup, which Inter won. The next two recipients of the award were Lazio's Christian Vieri, and Roma's Francesco Totti.