Sinisa Mihajlovic: Serie A icon Dies at 53 After Long Battle With Leukaemia
Sinisa Mihajlovic, the former Serbia national team manager and an iconic figure of 1990s Serie A football, has died at the age of 53.
As reported by Daily Mail, Mihajlovic has succumbed to his illness following a struggle of over three years having still been in the dug-out at Italian club Bologna just three months ago.
He passed away in a clinic in Rome on Friday. In a tribute by the Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Mihajlovic was described as ‘the man who was born twice’, living two lives before and after his leukaemia diagnosis but with the same warrior spirit.
He was most recently head coach at Bologna, where in his second spell with the club he spent over three and a half years in charge, despite being diagnosed with leukaemia in 2019.
Noted for his free-kick prowess, the former defender scored dozens of times from set pieces and went on to manage for over a decade in Italy’s top flight, as well as the Serbian national team.
Mihajlovic played 63 times and scored 10 goals for Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2003, playing at both the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
Despite being a defender, Mihajlovic was an especially potent free-kick taker, scoring some stunning goals from set-pieces during his career.
He was quoted as saying: ‘I didn’t like football all that much, but the free-kicks were great. For me, that is football. If there hadn’t been that, I might not have played.’
No player in Serie A history has scored more direct free-kicks than Siniša Mihajlović.
28 of his 38 goals in Italy's top-flight were scored that way, winning two league titles.
A legend of the game. 🕊 pic.twitter.com/F8VvHevb9S
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 16, 2022
