Legendary Serie A player turned coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has passed away after a battle with cancer.
He was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2019. His family announced on Friday that he died in a Rome hospital.
Mihajlovic was sacked as manager of Serie A club Bologna in September after they failed to record a win in their first five league matches.
His playing career included lengthy spells at Sampdoria and Lazio and he also managed Serbia.
“You fought like a lion on the pitch and in life … you are and you will always be a winner,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a tweet as tributes began to flood in from inside and outside the football world.
“Goodbye boss, you will always live in our hearts,” Bologna said in a tweet.
“Heaven has gained another legend. You will be sorely missed Sinisa,” was the message from AC Milan.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he was “deeply saddened.”
“On the pitch, his free-kicks embodied a passion and dedication for the beauty of the game that left a lasting impression on the world of sport and his death is a great loss to all of us,” he added.
Mihajlovic was a member of the Red Star Belgrade team that won the European Cup in 1991. He also won Serie A as a player with Lazio in 2000 and was part of the Internazionale team that was awarded the 2006 Serie A title after Juventus were stripped of the honour as a result of the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal.
