Football pays tribute to former Fiorentina & Milan manager Sinisa Mihajlovic as Lazio legend passes away after cancer battle
Mihajlovic's family announced that the Serie A and Serbia legend had died aged 53, after a battle with leukemia that began in 2019.
As a player, Mihajlovic was considered a free-kick specialist, and was part of the famed Red Star Belgrade team that won the European Cup in 1991. The former full-back also won the Scudetto with Lazio back in 2000, before being part of the Inter side that was posthumously awarded the 2006 Serie A title following Juventus' role in the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal.
Mihajlovic retired in Milan that year, having also made four appearances for his native Serbia, in which time he scored one goal. As a manager, he was in charge of the likes of Fiorentina, Milan and most recently Bologna, where he amassed 131 matches between 2019 and 2022.
Upon news of his passing, the football world paid tribute to Mihajlovic on social media:
IN MEMORIAM:
— Fudbalski savez Srbije | FA of Serbia (@FSSrbije) December 16, 2022
Синиша Михајловић (1969 - 2022)
Фудбалски савез Србије изражава најискреније саучешће породици и пријатељима Синише Михајловића.
Синиша, почивај у миру. Нека ти је вечна слава.https://t.co/8LmnsdRXwX pic.twitter.com/DQnHbnWPvG
Lega Serie A is extremely saddened by the passing of Siniša Mihajlović 🙏 @SerieA pic.twitter.com/gIlDnnEysj
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) December 16, 2022
Goodbye, Mister, you will forever be in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/QeMs4zeUJc
— Bologna FC 1909 (@BolognaFC1909en) December 16, 2022
La S.S. Lazio piange la scomparsa di Sinisa Mihajlovic
— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio) December 16, 2022
➡️ https://t.co/29ZOfNHotx pic.twitter.com/8TSFwASCyG
L'#ASRoma piange la scomparsa di Sinisa Mihajlovic e si unisce al dolore dei familiari.
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) December 16, 2022
Ciao Sinisa 🙏 pic.twitter.com/cbPGsK1kCJ
Nobody is ever ready to say goodbye to a dear friend.
— Inter (@Inter_en) December 16, 2022
Ciao, Sinisa.
Rest in peace, Siniša. pic.twitter.com/VI6hCIbcWj
— AC Milan (@acmilan) December 16, 2022
Mister, sei stato un guerriero. Un esempio per tutti noi e soprattutto per me… Non ti dimenticherò mai. 💔🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/sY3fJDzfTy
— Alessandro Nesta (@Nesta) December 16, 2022
Ciao guerriero hai lottato a testa alta fino alla fine, uomo vero 💔 RIP #Mihajlovic pic.twitter.com/oGbwNwOy5n
— Franco Baresi (@FBaresi) December 16, 2022
Quante battaglie in campo. Ciao Sinisa 🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/MW7DtVcXsS
— Gabriel Batistuta (@GBatistutaOK) December 16, 2022
I had the pleasure of meeting you, you had a great personality, a man who earned a lot of respect and a fighter to the end. You have taught many values in the world of football. We will miss you. Rest in peace Sinisa! ❤️🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/SkzDGWWSrY
— Franck Ribéry (@FranckRibery) December 16, 2022