Serbian coach and former football player Siniša Mihajlović (53) died yesterday after a long battle with leukemia.
The news was published by the Italian media and confirmed by the family, after it was speculated in the previous days that he was in a very serious condition.
Mihajlovic died in a hospital in Rome surrounded by his family. His health deteriorated rapidly in the previous days, and he repeatedly defeated the vicious disease.
In July 2019, the legendary football player announced that he was suffering from leukemia and underwent several cycles of chemotherapy in a clinic in Bologna, but he returned to the bench of the Italian club several times and resisted the serious illness for over three years.
Doctors from Italy previously confirmed that aggressive treatment was needed – chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but there was no salvation.
Terrible news. Sinisa Mihajlović has passed away at 53 after long fight with illness.
“I respect the illness, I will face it, with chest puffed out, looking it in the eyes, the way I always have done”, he said years ago.
Fighter, great man. Shocking news.
RIP 🙏🏻🕊️ pic.twitter.com/V84McAeeMO
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 16, 2022
He was born on February 20, 1969 in Vukovar, and began his professional football career in 1988 in Vojvodina. In December 1990, Red Star bought him for a million marks, which was an absolute record in Yugoslav football.
In the ranks of Belgrade, he played more in the middle, and only when he left for Roma in the summer of 1992, he started playing in the position of left back. Two years later he is in Sampdoria, and this is followed by an engagement in Lazio where he played as a stopper, and then he stopped playing football after Inter.
After a rich playing career in which he won many trophies, in his coaching career he led Catania, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Milan and Torino and Bologna, and was also the coach of Serbia, Klix.ba reports.
