Sinisa Mihajlovic dead aged 53: Inter Milan, Lazio and Yugoslavia World Cup legend passes away after long cancer battle
SERBIAN football legend Sinisa Mihajlovic has died aged 53.
The 63-cap Yugoslavia international had been suffering from cancer.
AP:Associated PressSinisa Mihajlovic has died aged 53[/caption]
ReutersMihajlovic represented Yugoslavia at the 1998 World Cup[/caption]
AP:Associated PressMihajlovic, pictured here with Lazio, spent much of his club career in Italy[/caption]
Mihajlovic announced he had been diagnosed with cancer in 2019 while manager of BolognaGetty Images – Getty
As a player Mihajlovic represented Yugoslavia at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
He spent much of his club career in Italy, playing for Inter Milan, Roma, Lazio and Sampdoria.
Serie A described Mihajlovic as “an icon of football and life” as they paid tribute to him.
A statement said: “Serie A is deeply saddened by the passing of Sinisa Mihajlovic, an icon of football and life.
“His pure class as a footballer and coach, his strength and his humanity are an example that leaves an indelible mark on Italian and world football.”
Mihajlovic went into coaching after hanging up his boots, staying in Italy except from a short spell with Sporting Lisbon in 2018.
In 2019, while boss of Serie A side Bologna, Mihajlovic announced that he had been diagnosed with an acute form of Leukemia.
He kept his role as boss while he battled the illness, before he was sacked in September of this year.
In April emotional footage showed the moment he was paid a surprise visit by his players while undergoing treatment in hospital.
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Mihajlovic played for, and managed, a number of different Serie A clubsGetty
