Serbian football icon and coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has passed away at 53 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
The defender, known for his left foot and precise set pieces, announced his illness in June 2019.
“I have leukemia. I was in real shock when I heard this news. I cried for a few days, but those were not tears of fear. I respect the disease, I will face it by looking into its eyes. I’m waiting to go to the hospital where I will start the fight. The disease is aggressive, but it can be beaten,” Mihajlovic wrote.
– He told the players that an offensive approach was needed. He explained that sitting back and defending would invite defeat, while an active stance and striving for victory could turn the tide. He vowed to use this mindset in the battle. He was confident he would win this war for his family, for his children, and for everyone who supported him.
At the time Mihajlovic was head coach of Italian side Bologna, and he continued to coach despite undergoing chemotherapy. After a period of treatment and recovery, the specialist, who had signed a new three-year contract with the club shortly before the illness news, returned to duties after a break.
The Serbian player initially guided the team remotely during remission and then resumed on-field management. He served as Bologna’s coach until September 22, 2022, when he was dismissed.
The Serbian emerged as a standout during his playing days. As a central defender, he drew attention not for height but for a thunderous shot and a commanding presence on set pieces.
His career began at Vojvodina, where he helped win the Yugoslav league in the 1988/89 season. In that first year, Mihajlovic scored four goals after starting at age 17.
The following season saw 11 goals in 28 matches, though Vojvodina slipped to 11th place. Midway through the next season, the defender moved to Belgrade powerhouse Crvena Zvezda, earning league titles in his time there and continuing to collect trophies along the way.
In 1991, Belgrade claimed the Champions Cup and then the Intercontinental Cup, backed by a squad filled with future icons of European and world football.
Several top clubs in Europe pursued the player, and he moved to the strongest league of that era—the Italian Serie A—where he played until the end of his playing days.
Mihajlovic spent two seasons in Rome, four years with Sampdoria in Genoa, and then six memorable years with Lazio. He finished his career with two seasons at Inter Milan.
During his years in Italy, he won titles with Lazio and Inter, including two Italian Cups and two Italian Super Cups, along with a Cup Winners’ Cup and a European Super Cup with Lazio.
Notably, in the 1999 Cup Winners’ Cup semi-finals, Lazio defeated Lokomotiv Moscow with a 1–1 aggregate score and a decisive away goal. Mihajlovic did not score in that tournament but played every match from start to finish. He was part of the Lazio squad in Moscow where the Romans overcame a late challenge, aided by a critical assist that helped secure the tie.
Mihajlovic earned European glory with Yugoslavia’s youth team by winning the European Championship in 1990. He appeared 63 times for the senior national team and scored 10 goals.
Across his club career, he tallied 52 direct free kicks, with 28 of those coming in Serie A, a record in the Italian championship. His fierce free kicks earned him nicknames such as “Hog Bomber” and “Trucker.”
As a coach, he led Bologna, Catania, Fiorentina, Serbia’s national team, Sampdoria, Milan, Torino, Sporting Portugal, and Bologna again.
In 2019, Mihajlovic received the Serbian Coach of the Year award and the Gazza Sports Legend Award for his perseverance. In April of the following year, he earned Serie A Manager of the Month honors for steering Bologna away from relegation and into mid-table stability.
Mihajlovic is survived by his wife, Arianna Rapaccioni, and their five children.