Siniša Mihajlović

Siniša Mihajlović ( sr-Cyrl, Синиша Михајловић, ; 20 February 1969 – 16 December 2022) was a Serbian professional football player and manager.

During his career as a footballer, he played as a defender or midfielder. He won the European Cup with Red Star Belgrade in 1991, and played for the majority of his career in the Italian Serie A, making 353 appearances for Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter Milan and winning league titles with the latter two clubs. Considered by many to be among the best free kick takers of all time, he holds the all-time record in Serie A for most goals from free-kicks with 28 goals. He won 63 caps and scored 10 goals for Yugoslavia from 1991 to 2003, of which his first four caps in 1991 represented SFR Yugoslavia, and played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000 tournaments.

Mihajlović retired from playing in 2006, becoming assistant manager at Inter. He managed six Serie A clubs from 2008 to 2022, starting and finishing with Bologna and also including Fiorentina, Torino and A.C. Milan even after his diagnosis in 2019. He was the coach of the Serbia national team from May 2012 to November 2013 as well.

Early life

Born in Vukovar into a working-class family of a Serb father from Bosnia and Herzegovina and a Croat mother, Mihajlović was raised in Borovo Naselje with a younger brother, Dražen (b. 1973). Their father Bogdan (d. 2011) was a truck driver, while their mother Viktorija worked in a shoe factory. Mihajlović identifies as a Serb, but has said that he views Croatia as his country as well.

Throughout his late teens, Mihajlović was part of the Yugoslav golden generation that ended up winning the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship in Chile, however, he was not selected in the team that head coach Mirko Jozić took to the tournament.

During the Croatian War of Independence, his home was destroyed by Croatian forces, among whom was his childhood best friend, an ethnic Croat, forcing his parents to flee. His maternal uncle called his mother and said that she should stay in Borovo, while her husband, Siniša's father, was to be killed. When the Serbian Volunteer Guard took over Borovo they captured the uncle, and found Siniša's number in his address book; Siniša was called and asked if they were relatives – he had him saved. In a 2016 interview Mihajlović said he had forgiven his childhood friend in a meeting in Zagreb prior to the crucial Euro 2000 qualification match between FR Yugoslavia and Croatia.

Club career

Early career

Mihajlović started playing organized football with NK Borovo, a lower-rank club from his hometown. He quickly marked himself out as a talented youngster, making the SR Croatia select squad for the Yugoslav inter-republic youth football tournaments.

In 1986, he was attached to NK Borovo's first team. Playing in the SR Croatia republic/provincial league (third tier competition on the Yugoslav club football pyramid), his first team debut took place on 25 May 1986 against Šparta in Beli Manastir. The match ended 1–1 with Mihajlović scoring a goal. The 17-year-old also got his first taste of professionalism with his first monthly salary being CHF500.Štimac, pobijedit ću te usred Maksimira!
;''Globus'', July 2012

In late 1986, Red Star Belgrade representatives led by scout Kule Aćimović came to watch the seventeen-year-old in a friendly Borovo played against FK Rad, but decided not to sign him.Veče sa Ivanom Ivanovićem
Prva TV, December 2011

Then in late spring 1987, amid NK Rijeka and Dinamo Vinkovci already courting young Mihajlović, Dinamo Zagreb—led by club president Ivo Vrhovec and head coach Ćiro Blažević—entered the fray after being made aware of the talented youngster with a thunderous long-distance striking ability by their own youth players Zvonimir Boban and Robert Prosinečki who had been playing with Mihajlović on the SR Croatia select youth team at inter-republic/provincial youth tournaments. The club's assistant and youth coach Josip Kuže recommended the kid to his boss Blažević. After seeing Mihajlović in a training session, Blažević agreed about the eighteen-year-old's potential, taking him with the rest of the first team to Sassari for an impromptu getaway between two league matches towards the end of the season, even giving the teenager a substitute appearance in Dinamo shirt in a friendly versus local club Torres Sassari.

The courtship between the club and the player continued over the summer off-season, and, in September 1987, eighteen-year-old Mihajlović was invited to join Dinamo's youth squad for a friendly tournament in Salem, West Germany where he left a good impression, leading to a glowing recommendation from Zdenko Kobeščak, another Dinamo youth coach who led the youth squad at the tournament in West Germany. However, no deal was agreed again as the club's head coach Ćiro Blažević did not seem intent on pursuing Mihajlović beyond cursory interest, feeling that Dinamo already had players for the central midfield position that were "just as good if not better", such as incoming Haris Škoro as well as club mainstay Marko Mlinarić and returnee Stjepan Deverić. Apparently, among the things colourful Blažević imparted to youngster Mihajlović on the occasion was a stern suggestion to cut his long hair and be prepared to be the fourth option for a position in Dinamo's midfield. Since Dinamo was unwilling to fully commit to the player—offering just a stipend-based agreement instead of a professional contract—Mihajlović decided to continue with NK Borovo. Not overly keen on the young third-tier league player, to begin with, and thus not too bothered about losing him, Blažević reportedly even joked that "two Mihajlovićs would be too much for Dinamo" in light of the fact Dinamo had already secured an advance agreement with the, at the time more established, Yugoslav First League player Radmilo Mihajlović (no relation to Siniša) about joining the following season.

The decision not to take Dinamo's offer was a costly one for young Mihajlović career-wise as the Yugoslavia under-20 head coach Mirko Jozić had already made it clear to the teenager he would not be called up for the upcoming FIFA World Youth Championship in Chile unless he signed with the Zagreb club.

Vojvodina

On the initiative by FK Vojvodina's sporting director Milorad Kosanović, Mihajlović arrived to Novi Sad in summer 1988 as part of a slate of players acquired by the club during the same transfer window: talented 19-year-old defensive midfielder Slaviša Jokanović as well as a pair of 24-year-old defenders Budimir Vujačić and Miroslav Tanjga.

Playing alongside seasoned Yugoslav league veterans like forward Miloš Šestić and goalkeeper Čedo Maras, each one of the four new acquisitions made major contribution on the squad led by also newly-arrived head coach Ljupko Petrović as FK Vojvodina somewhat improbably went on to win the Yugoslav league title ahead of the Big Four clubs. Young Mihajlović immediately grabbed a midfield spot, appearing in 31 league matches, scoring 4 goals.

The following 1989–90 season saw Vojvodina compete in the European Cup for only the second time in club history. Though most of the key players from the previous league-winning season remained, Vojvodina stumbled at the very first hurdle versus Hungarian champions Honvéd. Losing the first leg 1–0 away at Budapest, seemingly a decent away result, was still extremely disappointing considering Honvéd played with 10 men from the 15th minute. At the return home leg played in front of half-empty stadium things went much better as Vojvodina got up 2–0 (including a bizarre opening goal from Šestić's in-swinging corner that Mihajlović deflected into goal using his hand), however a late own goal by defender Dragan Gaćeša dashed Vojvodina hopes of progressing further.

Red Star Belgrade

Twenty-one-year-old Mihajlović joined Red Star Belgrade on 10 December 1990 in a high-profile transfer with a transfer fee of DM1 million paid out to Vojvodina. As for his personal salary terms, the midfielder signed a 4-year contract for DM240,000 in total, plus the club bought him a Mazda 323F and a 3-bedroom apartment in Belgrade.

Arriving to a club coached by his old Vojvodina mentor Ljupko Petrović, Mihajlović was brought in to establish a robust presence on the left side of midfield as well as to score set-piece goals. With a price tag suggesting immediate high expectations and finding himself on the squad full of rising European stars such as Dejan Savićević, Robert Prosinečki, Vladimir Jugović, Darko Pančev in addition to already established Miodrag Belodedici, Mihajlović fit in very well right from the start. Joining the league leaders in the middle of the league season winter break, Mihajlović's first appearance in the Red Star shirt took place on 10 January 1991 in a friendly against lower-ranked FK Beograd as an unusually large number of fans came out to the ramshackle Karaburma ground to see the million DM player. Once the league season restarted, he would end up making 14 league appearances, but his most memorable moment came in the European Cup semi-final return leg versus Bayern Munich: in a man of the match performance Mihajlović scored both Red Star goals – the free-kick opener as well as the dramatic injury time winner on a shot that deflected off Klaus Augenthaler. In the final, Red Star defeated Olympique de Marseille on penalties, after a 0–0 draw at full time, with Mihajlović being one of the shootout scorers. Over twenty years later in 2011, talking to a French football magazine about the famous win in Bari, Mihajlović said:

Mihajlović was also in the team later that year when Red Star Belgrade won the Intercontinental Cup, defeating Colo-Colo 3–0. He was then included by Yugoslavia national football team to UEFA Euro 1992, but the nation would be suspended due to the Yugoslav Wars.

Roma

In summer 1992, amid interest from Juventus, Mihajlović ended up going to Roma for a reported ITL8.5 billion (~US$5.9 million) transfer fee on initiative by compatriot head coach Vujadin Boškov, also a new arrival to Olimpico, having led Sampdoria in the European Cup Final mere months earlier. Arriving to Rome from Belgrade—via first being driven over the border to Sofia followed by a stopover flight to Vienna due to the UN embargo on FR Yugoslavia cutting international flights from Belgrade—Mihajlović and his agent Vladimir Pavković were met by club president Giuseppe Ciarrapico as the player underwent a thorough six-hour physical and signed a contract with the club. Joining the squad led on the pitch by the talisman midfielder and hometown hero Giuseppe Giannini, the ''Giallorossi'' were looking to improve on their previous season's 5th place league finish.

Despite competing for the three foreign matchday spots against notable and established foreigners Aldair, Thomas Häßler, and new arrival Claudio Caniggia, Mihajlović managed to achieve a first team spot in the left midfield as well as to turn in a decent season with a single goal in 29 league appearances. However, the team had a disappointing overall season, finishing 10th in Serie A standings. Mihajlović also played a significant part in Roma's UEFA Cup campaign where they reached the quarterfinals—losing to Borussia Dortmund in a tie that saw the Serb score a trademark free-kick for a 1–0 first leg lead, before being beaten 2–0 in the return. Due to a long-term injury to Roma's left back Amedeo Carboni midway through the season, coach Boškov moved Mihajlović to the left back position.

The 1993–94 season started with new head coach Carlo Mazzone in charge as Boškov got shown the door. In addition to existing four foreigners, the club brought in Argentine ace Abel Balbo thus increasing competition for three foreign spots. Mihajlović, for his part, still played the left back position under the new gaffer, which the player wasn't personally happy with. Still, even without European competition, the team again underachieved in Serie A, finishing in 7th spot – out of European spots for the second season running.

Years later, talking about his playing days, retired Mihajlović referred to his stay in Roma as "the two worst seasons of my entire career".

Sampdoria

During summer 1994 transfer window, Mihajlović joined the third-placed club in previous season's Serie A standings and Coppa Italia winners – Sampdoria coached by Sven-Göran Eriksson. A few years removed from its late 1980s and early 1990s heyday, the Genoa side was still a very ambitious outfit, if not as financially stable, looking to challenge for trophies. Also arriving the same summer were Inter stalwarts Walter Zenga and Riccardo Ferri as part of the deal that took goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca the other way. For Mihajlović, the arrival to Marassi meant getting reunited with former Red Star teammate Vladimir Jugović.

Mihajlović's competitive debut for the club took place in late August 1994 in the Supercoppa Italiana match versus league champions AC Milan. It ended with mixed feelings: the Serb scored a trademark free-kick for the go-ahead goal, but after the contest ended in a draw and went to penalties, Mihajlović's spot kick hit the outer side of the crossbar and stayed out.

In his four seasons at Sampdoria, Mihajlović saw limited success in the Serie A. In the European competitions, however, he helped Sampdoria reach the 1994–95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semifinal, where they got eliminated by Arsenal on penalties.

In June 1998, Mihajlović represented FR Yugoslavia at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, playing all Yugoslav matches in the tournament. He scored a goal against Iran, and conceded an own goal against Germany. This made Mihajlović one of only five players to score both a goal and an own goal in the World Cup; the other ones being Ernie Brandts, Ruud Krol, Gustavo Peña and Mario Mandžukić.

Lazio

In the summer of 1998, Mihajlović was brought to Lazio by head coach Sven-Göran Eriksson and club president Sergio Cragnotti for £8.5 million. Very quickly after coming back to the capital, Mihajlović finally won his first piece of silverware in Italy as Lazio beat Juventus in the Supercoppa Italiana during late August 1998.

An ambitious outfit backed by Cragnotti's food business, Lazio already challenged for major trophies as it finished the previous season a Coppa Italia winner and a UEFA Cup runner-up