Former AC Milan and Bologna boss Sinisa Mihajlovic has died aged 53 following a long battle with leukaemia.
The former Yugoslavian defender, who won the European Cup with Red Star Belgrade as a player in 1991, first announced he had leukemia in 2019.
He was successfully treated but was diagnosed with the disease for the second time in March 2022.
“His impact on our game, our country and our hearts will forever be remembered,” a statement from Serie A said.
Mihajlovic won Serie A as a player with Lazio and Inter Milan and also played for Roma and Sampdoria.
He won 63 international caps between 1991 and 2003, representing the former Yugoslavia at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
He managed the Serbian national team and was Bologna boss until September, when he was fired after a bad start to the season.
“It was the hardest decision I’ve made since I became president of Bologna,” Bologna president Joey Saputo said at the time.
“In recent years, we have lived beautiful and painful moments with Sinisa that have cemented a relationship that is not only professional, but above all human.
“Mihajlovic has faced the disease with courage and determination since the day he wanted to go public with his state of health in a moving press conference.
“Since then, despite the hospital stays and the heavy sequelae of the treatments he has suffered, he has always remained close to the team, striving to be in contact with the players, in person or in relation, thanks also to the professionalism of its staff.”
In a statement published on its website, the Serbian Football Federation wrote: “Football has lost too soon a European and world champion, one of the best takers of free kicks in the history of football, player , coach and selector, a man who left a deep mark in the history of Serbian and Italian football with his career.”
