 Mihajlović as manager ofFiorentina in 2010 | |||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1969-02-20)20 February 1969 | ||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vukovar, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia | ||||||||||
| Date of death | 16 December 2022(2022-12-16) (aged 53) | ||||||||||
| Place of death | Rome, Italy | ||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||
| Position | Defender | ||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||
| Borovo | |||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||
| 1986–1988 | Borovo | 37 | (8) | ||||||||
| 1988–1990 | Vojvodina | 73 | (19) | ||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Red Star Belgrade | 38 | (9) | ||||||||
| 1992–1994 | Roma | 54 | (1) | ||||||||
| 1994–1998 | Sampdoria | 110 | (12) | ||||||||
| 1998–2004 | Lazio | 126 | (20) | ||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Inter Milan | 25 | (5) | ||||||||
| Total | 463 | (74) | |||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||
| 1991–2003 | Serbia and Montenegro[note 1] | 63 | (10) | ||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Bologna | ||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Catania | ||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Fiorentina | ||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Serbia | ||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Sampdoria | ||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Milan | ||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Torino | ||||||||||
| 2018 | Sporting CP | ||||||||||
| 2019–2022 | Bologna | ||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||
Siniša Mihajlović (Serbian Cyrillic:Синиша Михајловић,pronounced[sǐniʃamixǎːjloʋitɕ]; 20 February 1969 – 16 December 2022) was a Serbian footballmanager and professionalfootballer. Though starting out as amidfielder and attacking midfielder, he played the majority of his career as adefender.
Mihajlović had an illustrious playing career, winning theEuropean Cup withRed Star Belgrade in1991 before moving to Italy, making 353 appearances forSerie A sidesRoma,Sampdoria,Lazio andInter Milan and winning league titles with the latter two clubs. Considered by many to be among the bestfree kick takers of all time,[nb 1] he holds the all-time record inSerie A formost goals from free kicks with 28 goals. He won 63 caps and scored 10 goals forYugoslavia from 1991 to 2003, of which his first four caps in 1991 representedSFR Yugoslavia, and played in the1998 FIFA World Cup andUEFA 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 withBologna and also includingFiorentina,Torino andAC Milan. He was the coach of theSerbia national team from May 2012 to November 2013. He was diagnosed withleukemia in 2019 and died from the disease in 2022.
Born inVukovar into a working-class family of aBosnian Serb father[7] and aCroat mother,[8] Mihajlović was raised inBorovo Naselje with a younger brother, Dražen (b. 1973).[9] Their father Bogdan (d. 2011) was atruck driver at the Građevinar construction company in Vukovar, while their mother Viktorija worked in theBorovo shoe factory.[9] Mihajlović identified as aSerb, but said that he viewed Croatia as his country as well.[10]
During theCroatian 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.[8] His maternal uncle called his mother and said that she should stay in Borovo, and that Siniša's father was to be killed.[8] His uncle was arrested when theSerbian Volunteer Guard took over Borovo, but was freed because he was related to Mihajlović.[8] In a 2016 interview Mihajlović said he had forgiven his childhood friend in a meeting inZagreb prior to the crucialEuro 2000 qualification match betweenFR Yugoslavia andCroatia.[11]
Mihajlović started playing organized football with his hometown teamNK Borovo. He quickly marked himself out as a talented youngster, making theSR 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 provincial league (third tier competition on the Yugoslav club football pyramid), his first team debut took place on 25 May 1986 against Šparta inBeli 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 beingCHF500.[12]
In late 1986,Red Star Belgrade representatives led by scoutKule Aćimović came to watch the seventeen-year-old in a friendly Borovo played againstFK Rad, but decided not to sign him.[13]
Then in late spring 1987, withNK Rijeka andDinamo Vinkovci both seeking to sign Mihajlović,Dinamo Zagreb—led by club president Ivo Vrhovec and head coachĆiro Blažević—also expressed an interest; their youth playersZvonimir Boban andRobert Prosinečki had been playing with Mihajlović on the SR Croatia select youth team at inter-republic and provincial youth tournaments and recommended him to the team.[12] After seeing Mihajlović in a training session, Blažević took him with the rest of the first team toSassari for an impromptu getaway between two league matches towards the end of theseason, and gave him a substitute appearance in Dinamo shirt in a friendly against local clubTorres Sassari.[12]
In September 1987, Mihajlović was invited to join Dinamo's youth squad for a friendly tournament inSalem,West Germany where he performed well.[14] However, no deal was agreed again as the club's head coach Ćiro Blažević felt that Dinamo already had players for the central midfield position that were "just as good if not better", such as incomingHaris Škoro as well as club mainstayMarko Mlinarić and returneeStjepan Deverić. With Dinamo only prepared to offer astipend-based agreement rather than a professional contract, Mihajlović decided to continue with NK Borovo.
The decision not to take Dinamo's offer cost Mihajlović a place in theYugoslavia under-20; head coachMirko Jozić had told him that he would not be called up for the upcomingFIFA World Youth Championship in Chile unless he signed with the Zagreb club.[12][15]
Mihajlović signed forFK Vojvodina in 1988, as part of a group of players acquired by the club, which included defensive midfielderSlaviša Jokanović, and defendersBudimir Vujačić andMiroslav Tanjga.[16] The club won the Yugoslav league title, with Mihajlović scoring four goals in 31 appearances. The following 1989–90 season saw Vojvodina compete in theEuropean Cup for only the second time in their history, but lost in the first round to Hungarian championsHonvéd.[17]
Mihajlović joined Red Star Belgrade on 10 December 1990 in a high-profile transfer with a transfer fee ofDM1 million paid out to Vojvodina.[16] Arriving at 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. In the European Cupsemi-final return leg versusBayern Munich, Mihajlović scored both Red Star goals—a free-kick opener and the injury time winner with a shot that deflected offKlaus Augenthaler. In thefinal, Red Star defeatedOlympique de Marseille on penalties, after a 0–0 draw at full time, with Mihajlović being one of the shootout scorers.
Mihajlović was also in the team later that year whenRed Star Belgrade won theIntercontinental Cup, defeatingColo-Colo 3–0. He was then included byYugoslavia national football team toUEFA Euro 1992,[18] but the nation was disqualified from the competition byUnited Nations sanctions due to theYugoslav Wars.
In the summer of 1992, amid interest from Juventus, Mihajlović signed forRoma for a reportedITL8.5 billion (~US$5.9 million) transfer fee,[19] at the request of head coachVujadin Boškov, also a new arrival toOlimpico. The club were looking to improve on their previous season's 5th place league finish.
Mihajlović secured a regular first team spot in the left midfield, and the team finished 10th in the league. Mihajlović also played a significant part in Roma'sUEFA Cup campaign where they reached thequarterfinals—losing toBorussia 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'sleft backAmedeo Carboni midway through the season, coach Boškov moved Mihajlović to the left back position.
The 1993–94 season started with new head coachCarlo Mazzone in charge after Boškov was sacked. In addition to the four foreigners already at the club, the club brought in ArgentineAbel Balbo thus increasing competition for three foreign spots. Mihajlović continued as a left back under the new manager. In the1993–94 season, the club finished 7th, and out of Europe for the second season running.
Years later, talking about his playing days, Mihajlović referred to his stay in Roma as "the two worst seasons of my entire career".[13]
In 1994, Mihajlović joinedSampdoria, who were the third-placed club inprevious season's Serie A standings and the Coppa Italia winners, coached bySven-Göran Eriksson. Also arriving the same summer were Inter stalwartsWalter Zenga andRiccardo Ferri as part of the deal that took goalkeeperGianluca Pagliuca the other way.
In his four seasons at Sampdoria, Mihajlović saw limited success in the Serie A. In the European competitions, however, he helped Sampdoria reach the1994–95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cupsemifinal, where they were defeated byArsenal on penalties.
In June 1998, Mihajlović represented FR Yugoslavia at the1998 FIFA World Cup, playing all Yugoslav matches in the tournament. He scored a goal againstIran, and conceded anown goal againstGermany. This made Mihajlović one of five players to score both a goal and an own goal in the World Cup; the other ones beingErnie Brandts,Ruud Krol,Gustavo Peña andMario Mandžukić.[citation needed]
In the summer of 1998, Mihajlović was brought toLazio by head coach Sven-Göran Eriksson and club presidentSergio Cragnotti for£8.5 million.[20] He won his first trophy in Italy as Lazio beatJuventus in theSupercoppa Italiana during late August 1998. The clubfinished 7th in Serie A.
Strengthening the squad for a serious run at the Serie A title, in addition to Mihajlović, the summer 1998 transfer window also saw Cragnotti bring inDejan Stanković fromRed Star Belgrade, established goalscorerMarcelo Salas fromRiver Plate, and finally strikerChristian Vieri fromAtlético Madrid.
With Lazio, Mihajlović reached the final of the 1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, winning the last edition of that competition with a 2–1 victory againstRCD Mallorca. Lazio also won the 1999UEFA Super Cup. Mihajlović played 26 times and scored seven goals during the1999–2000 Serie A season as Lazio won their secondScudetto. Mihajlović completed the double by helping Lazio win the 2000Coppa Italia.
Mihajlović represented Yugoslavia internationally again, at theEuro 2000 tournament. In the first Yugoslav game of the tournament, he was sent off againstSlovenia. He served a one-game suspension before playing the last two games of the tournament.
Mihajlović won his last trophy with Lazio in 2004, beating Juventus in the Coppa Italia final.
In 2004, Mihajlović was released from Lazio and joined his friend and former teammateRoberto Mancini atInter Milan on a free transfer, signing a one-year deal.[21] On 16 June 2005 Mihajlović signed a one-year extension.[22] On 9 April 2006, in a league away game versusAscoli, he scored his 27th careerfree-kick goal in theSerie A championship. He retired after the 2005–06 season.
During his time with Inter, he made 43 appearances and scored 6 goals, all fromdirect free kicks.
Playing as a youth international, Mihajlović featured in 5 games at the1990 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[23]
Between 1991 and 2003, Mihajlović was capped 63 times and scored 10 goals for theYugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro.[24] He participated at the1998 FIFA World Cup where he scored a free-kick againstIran as Yugoslavia reached the second round. He also participated atUEFA Euro 2000. He was sent off in Yugoslavia's opening game againstSlovenia but returned after a one match ban with Yugoslavia reaching the quarterfinal. His final international was a June 2003European Championship qualification match away againstFinland.[25]
Early into his playing career, Mihajlović marked himself out with an extraordinary long-distancestriking,crossing, andpassing ability. His precisecurling yet hard-driven left-footed shot allowed him to scorefree-kick goals on a regular basis. A set-piece andpenalty kick specialist,[26] Mihajlović has said that he has scored free-kicks from as far as 35 yards, adding in a 2000 interview with BBC Sport: "I like to shoot with a swerve into both sides of the net. I often try scoring directly from the corners.".[27] Regarded as one of the greatest free kick takers of all time, he was capable of both scoring and creating chances from dead ball opportunities,[28] and holds the record for themost goals in Serie A from free-kicks, as well as the record for second most goals from free kicks for a single Serie A club in all competitions, with 43, behindAlessandro Del Piero. Along withGiuseppe Signori, he is one of only two players who have scored a hat-trick from free kicks in Serie A, a feat which he accomplished during his time with Lazio, in a 5–2 win over Sampdoria, on 13 December 1998, during the 1998–99 season.[29][30]
During his club career in Yugoslavia with Vojvodina and Red Star Belgrade as well as during his early spell at Roma, he played on the left side of midfield aswinger, or as anattacking midfielder orsecond striker on occasion, where he was known for his stamina, speed, foot-work, and ability to cover the flank with his runs, as well as his excellent ball-striking ability with his left foot, and his ability to dictate attacking plays in midfield.[28][31][32][33] Upon moving to Italy, midway through his first season in Serie A, Mihajlović was moved to the position ofleft back by Roma head coachVujadin Boškov. The following season, under Roma's new head coachCarlo Mazzone, he mostly continued at left back while occasionally being deployed as adefensive midfielder, although his performances in this position were somewhat inconsistent due to his limited tactical sense. In 1994, after transferring to Sampdoria under head coachSven-Göran Eriksson, Mihajlović was moved to the centre of the team's defensive line, and remained in this position for the rest of his career. He later excelled in this newfoundcentre back role, where he functioned as asweeper, due to his consistent defensive displays, physique, intelligence, leadership, and tenacity, as well as his good technique, touch on the ball, and long passing ability, which enabled him to play the ball out from the back; he drew praise from manager Carlo Mazzone, in particular, who described him as one of the best players in the world in his position.[34][35][36]
After retiring from playing atInter Milan, Mihajlović began a coaching career at San Siro as assistant to head coachRoberto Mancini. Mihajlović and Mancini had played together for five seasons at Sampdoria and Lazio.
Mihajlović's free-kick expertise has been praised byZlatan Ibrahimović,[37] who after several successful free-kicks thanked the then assistant coach Mihajlović who had trained him for two years at Inter.[38]
Mancini was fired in June 2008 by club presidentMassimo Moratti at the end of the2007–08 season to make way forJosé Mourinho. Mihajlović left the club at the same time.
On 3 November 2008, Mihajlović was appointed to replaceDaniele Arrigoni at Serie A relegation-battling clubBologna.[39] His Serie A bench debut came on 8 November 2008 at home versusRoma. The match ended in a 1–1 draw. His tenure began with five consecutive league draws before a 5–2 victory against relegation rivalsTorino on 13 December 2008.
Mihajlović was sacked by Bologna on 14 April 2009 in the wake of a 1–4 home defeat againstSiena, which dragged the team back into the relegation zone with seven matches remaining in the season. His tenure suffered from media rumours that he had numerous high-profile disagreements with senior players at the club which led to the poor form that eventually cost him the job.[40] Under new head coachGiuseppe Papadopulo, Bologna avoided relegation to theSerie B on the last day of the season with a win overCatania.
On 8 December 2009, Mihajlović was appointed new head coach ofCatania, taking over fromGianluca Atzori.[41] He signed a contract until June 2011 withgli elefanti, hiringDario Marcolin—his former teammate at Lazio and colleague on Mancini's coaching staff at Inter—to be his assistant.[42] Arriving at the clublast in Serie A, Mihajlović made his debut with a home loss against relegation rivalsLivorno. However, the following week, his team beat heavily favoured Juventus away in Turin with a 1–2 scoreline.[43]
A string of good results, together with a number of key January signings such as former Argentine international strikerMaxi López, helped Mihajlović keep the team out of the relegation zone. On 13 March 2010, Catania won 3–1 against league leaders and Mihajlović's former teamInter Milan.
Led by Mihajlović, Catania finished the season in 13th spot, well out of the relegation zone.
He resigned at the end of the season on 24 May 2010 amid reports linking him to incumbentUEFA Champions League winners Inter as a replacement for outgoing bossJosé Mourinho,[44] which did not come to anything in the end.
On 3 June 2010, Mihajlović was announced as the new head coach ofFiorentina, replacing outgoingCesare Prandelli who had left the Tuscan club to become the manager of theItaly national team.
Fiorentina had finished the2009–10 Serie A campaign in eleventh place, but had made theChampions League round-of-16 stage where they were eliminated byBayern Munich on away goals. Mihajlović signed a two-year contract on a salary of just under €1 million per year.[45] Mihajlović stated that making Europe was a realistic goal for the season.[46]
The team suffered poor form in the first part of the season, with injuries to some key players. They finished the first half of the season in twelfth spot. Mihajlović signed wingerValon Behrami fromWest Ham United, but the alternating home and away form improved only slightly as the head coach experimented with various tactical formations.
In February 2011, Fiorentina won on the road for the first time in the season with a win at Palermo. In March 2011, the team recorded two straight wins for the first time in the season, climbing up to eighth spot. The club finished theleague season with 12 wins (only three of those away from home), 11 losses, and 15 draws, which secured ninth place – twelve points out of a European spot.
During the summer 2011 transfer season, Mihajlović was strongly linked with a return to Inter in head coaching capacity, with some Italian papers even reporting the specific date of his unveiling at thenerazzurri following supposed successful negotiations with Inter's sporting directorMarco Branca.[47] However, Mihajlović denied those claims, pledging to stay on in Florence.[48]
Theseason began in August 2011, with aCoppa Italiawin overAS Cittadella. However, poor league form including five matches without a win put Mihajlović's position under pressure. At a home match against Genoa in October 2011, Fiorentina's supporters shouted abuse from the terraces throughout the match with calls for Mihajlović's sacking and even racist banners and chants targeting the coach's ethnicity.[49] The fans' verbal abuse of Mihajlović made headlines for the next couple of days and sections of Fiorentina support issued an apology to the coach by hanging a banner outside of the stadium.[50][51] Mihajlović was sacked on 7 November 2011, one day after a 1–0 away loss toChievoVerona.[52] The team was in 13th place in the league with 12 points from 10 matches.
In May 2012, theFootball Association of Serbia signed Mihajlović to become the head coach of theSerbia national team until the end of the2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[53] Serbia finished third inGroup A of thequalifying phase in October 2013 after which he resigned.
On 20 November 2013, Sampdoria named Mihajlović as the new head coach in place forDelio Rossi. He signed a one-year rolling contract with automatic extension in case of a successful escape from relegation in the ongoing season, with his assistant coachNenad Sakić (a former Sampdoria player himself) following him too.
During his first season in charge, he guided Sampdoria to significant improvements in results and easily escaped relegation. He successively agreed to stay for one more season, after talks with new presidentMassimo Ferrero, who took over from the Garrone family in July 2014. In the first weeks of the 2014–15 season, he managed to obtain eight points and no defeats in the first four games of the season, overseeing quality performances from players such asStefano Okaka. On 1 June 2015 he wrote an open letter to confirm his departure as the head coach of Sampdoria.[54]
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On 16 June 2015,Milan officially sackedFilippo Inzaghi, appointing Mihajlović as their new manager, with a contract until 30 June 2017.[55] During his tenure at the club, he was highly praised for trusting and giving playing opportunities toGianluigi Donnarumma, who was only 16 years old at the time.[56] Mihajlović was sacked on 12 April 2016.[57]
On 25 May 2016, Mihajlović was officially appointed as the new manager ofTorino, taking over fromGian Piero Ventura.[58] He made his debut on theGranata bench on 13 August 2016 at theStadio Olimpico Grande Torino with a 4–1 home win overPro Vercelli in the third round of theCoppa Italia.[59] Mihajlović fielded Torino with an aggressive 4-3-3 formation and by the midway point of the season registered a record for points (29) whilst under the presidency ofUrbano Cairo,[60] but a less brilliant second half of the season ended with Torino in ninth place. He was sacked on 4 January 2018 following a 2–0 defeat to Juventus in the Coppa Italia.[61]
On 18 June 2018, Mihajlović took over as manager ofSporting CP, signing a three-year contract with the Portuguese club.[62] Nine days after his arrival, he was sacked due to change of executive staff.[63]
On 28 January 2019, Bologna parted ways withFilippo Inzaghi due to a series of poor results, and Mihajlović took over at the club for the second time in his managerial career.[64]
The team scored 30 points in his first 17 games, in comparison with 14 points achieved under Inzaghi; thanks to those results, Mihajlović managed to keep Bologna into the top flight with ease, and he was retained as manager for the following season.
On 13 July 2019, Mihajlović announced that he had been diagnosed with an acute form ofleukemia, but that he planned to stay in charge of the club while undergoing treatment.[65]
Mihajlović was sacked on 6 September 2022, after Bologna secured only three points from its first five matches inSerie A, ending his three-and-a-half-year spell with the club.[66]
Mihajlović developed and fostered a reputation as a hard-nosed, tough-tackling player with a short fuse and no fear. As such he had many physical and verbal run-ins with opposing players that occasionally spilled outside of the pitch.[citation needed][67]
Already known as a player not backing away from physical play, the 22-year-old was one of the main protagonists of the ill-tempered1991 Yugoslav Cup Final between Red Star and Hajduk Split on 8 May 1991 at theJNA Stadium in front of 7,000 spectators.[68] Although of secondary importance to Red Star, which was getting ready for the European Cup Final three weeks later, the match still featured a degree of tension due to pitting a Serbian side against a Croatian one in an atmosphere of inter-ethnic incidents between Croats andCroatian Serbs in easternSlavonia andDalmatia regions of SR Croatia, including Mihajlović's hometown Borovo that saw amassacre only six days before the final. Early in the match Hajduk's 23-year-old defenderIgor Štimac and Mihajlović began insulting each other, and according to Mihajlović during one of their exchanges Štimac told him: "I hope our guys kill all of your family in Borovo."[69][70][71] In the 70th minute Mihajlović slid in for a hard tackle on another Hajduk playerGrgica Kovač that led to play temporarily being stopped as both sets of players confronted each other. Mihajlović was led away by Hajduk playerAnte Miše (the two knew each other as they were both from Borovo) who grabbed him by the hair while Red Star'sIlija Najdoski grabbed Hajduk'sSlaven Bilić by the hair at which point Štimac jumped into the fracas with a raised fist attempting to punch Najdoski. Mihajlović received a second yellow for the challenge on Kovač, and the referee Adem Fazlagić also gave Štimac a second yellow, which meant both players got sent off.[68]
Several years later, in October 2000, Mihajlović raised a storm of controversy due to allegedly directing racist remarks atArsenal'sPatrick Vieira.[72] The incident occurred during an ill-tempered Lazio vs ArsenalUEFA Champions Leaguematch on 17 October 2000 atStadio Olimpico. Throughout the contest, Mihajlović had run-ins with several Arsenal players, includingMartin Keown andRobert Pires. After the final whistle, Mihajlović and Vieira were seen trading insults and trying to get at one another physically before being restrained by teammates. After the match, Vieira spoke to the media, accusing Mihajlović ofracist abuse, saying that Mihajlović had called him "nero di merda" (black piece of shit) or "fucking black monkey."[73] Mihajlović subsequently apologized, but contended that his words were in retaliation to Vieira calling him a "zingaro di merda" (Gypsy piece of shit).[74] Two months later, in December 2000, Mihajlović came under police investigation over the event for possibly violating an anti-racism law in Italy. Italian investigators planned on using Mihajlović's own post-game admission about insulting Vieira to file charges of violating a 1993 law that criminalizes the "spreading ... of ideas based on racial or ethnic superiority or hate",[75] but no charges were made. Six years later Mihajlović and Vieira became part of the same team when the Senegalese-born Frenchman joined Inter where Mihajlović was already assistant to head coach Roberto Mancini. Vieira was later one of the guests for Mihajlović'stestimonial match on 28 May 2007 inNovi Sad.[76]
On 7 November 2003, Mihajlović received an eight-match suspension byUEFA for spitting at and kickingChelsea'sAdrian Mutu during aChampions Leaguegroup stage match.[77][78] Six and a half years later, Mihajlović became the head coach ofFiorentina, where Mutu was playing at the time.
A vocal and outspoken presence, known for his leadership,[79] Mihajlović attracted much controversy throughout both his playing and coaching careers, for his political views and affiliations.[26][73]
AmidJavier Clemente's failure to qualify theSerbia national team forEuro 2008, and Serbian press reports that thenInter Milan assistant coach Mihajlović was set to take over,[80] Mihajlović publicly came out against theSerbia FA (FSS) presidentZvezdan Terzić, accusing him in October 2007 of "giving national team call-ups to players [he had private contracts with] in order to boost their transfer value".[81] Terzić did not directly respond to the accusation, which Mihajlović repeated several months later during early March 2008 in the wake of Terzić's time on the run from Serbian law enforcement over accusations of player transfer fee skimming.[82]
In May 2012, Mihajlović landed the Serbia national team head coaching job (under the new FA presidentTomislav Karadžić) and instituted a new code-of-conduct to be signed by players called up for international duty. One of the central points was his insistence that players sing the national anthem before matches. On 28 May, afterAdem Ljajić failed to do so despite signing the code-of-conduct, Mihajlović removed him from the national team.[83]
In December 2012, Mihajlović suedfootball agent Zoran Đurić for libel over his claims expressed during SOS channel'sTotal Soccer programme that "sports agents Fali Ramadani andSergio Berti have a large influence on Mihajlović's national team squad selection".[84][85]
In late March 2013, in the wake of the2014 FIFA World Cupqualifier loss to Croatia, Mihajlović and Terzić reignited their public feud from six years prior, with the former Serbian FA president—who had in the meantime returned to the country from being on the run and completed a prison term following a plea deal—repeating Đurić's accusation about Mihajlović having "his national team match day squads selected by Sergio Berti".[86] Mihajlović announced plans to sue Terzić for libel over the remark.[87]
Mihajlović was married to Arianna Rapaccioni, an Italian former television presenter, with whom he had five children: three sons and two daughters.[88] On 13 July 2019, Mihajlović announced that he had been diagnosed with an acute form ofleukemia, but would stay on as manager of Bologna.[65] He underwent abone marrow transplant after three cycles of chemotherapy.[89]
In October 2021, he became a grandfather, after his daughter Virginia gave birth to a daughter. The father isAlessandro Vogliacco, who, at the time, played forGenoa.[90]
Mihajlović died on 16 December 2022 at a clinic inRome, following complications of leukemia.[91][92]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Vojvodina | 1988–89 | Yugoslav First League | 31 | 4 | — | — | 31 | 4 | ||||
| 1989–90 | Yugoslav First League | 28 | 11 | 2[b] | 1 | — | 30 | 12 | ||||
| 1990–91 | Yugoslav First League | 14 | 4 | — | — | 14 | 4 | |||||
| Total | 73 | 19 | 2 | 1 | — | 75 | 20 | |||||
| Red Star Belgrade | 1990–91 | Yugoslav First League | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5[b] | 1 | — | 22 | 3 | |
| 1991–92 | Yugoslav First League | 24 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 10[b] | 4 | 2[c] | 0 | 44 | 15 | |
| Total | 38 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 66 | 18 | ||
| Roma | 1992–93 | Serie A | 29 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 5[d] | 1 | — | 41 | 7 | |
| 1993–94 | Serie A | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 0 | |||
| Total | 54 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | 69 | 7 | |||
| Sampdoria | 1994–95 | Serie A | 25 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6[e] | 1 | 1[f] | 1 | 34 | 5 |
| 1995–96 | Serie A | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 4 | |||
| 1996–97 | Serie A | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 2 | |||
| 1997–98 | Serie A | 27 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 33 | 4 | ||
| Total | 110 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 128 | 15 | ||
| Lazio | 1998–99 | Serie A | 30 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 9[e] | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 44 | 9 |
| 1999–2000 | Serie A | 26 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 12[g] | 3 | 1[h] | 0 | 46 | 13 | |
| 2000–01 | Serie A | 18 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8[g] | 2 | 1[f] | 1 | 29 | 8 | |
| 2001–02 | Serie A | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[g] | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Serie A | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6[d] | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2003–04 | Serie A | 25 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5[g] | 1 | — | 36 | 2 | ||
| Total | 126 | 20 | 22 | 6 | 42 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 193 | 33 | ||
| Inter Milan | 2004–05 | Serie A | 20 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 4[g] | 0 | — | 30 | 5 | |
| 2005–06 | Serie A | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3[g] | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | ||
| Total | 25 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 0 | — | 43 | 6 | |||
| Career total | 426 | 66 | 63 | 17 | 79 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 574 | 99 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFR Yugoslavia | 1991 | 4 | 0 |
| 1992 | 0 | 0 | |
| FR Yugoslavia | 1993 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1996 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 10 | 2 | |
| 1998 | 11 | 2 | |
| 1999 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2002 | 8 | 1 | |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 2003 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 63 | 10 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 November 1995 | Estadio Nacional Flor Blanca,San Salvador, El Salvador | 8 |  El Salvador | 1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 15 November 1995 | Estadio Tecnológico,Monterrey, Mexico | 9 |  Mexico | 3–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 10 September 1997 | Štadión Tehelné pole,Bratislava, Slovakia | 23 |  Slovakia | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 11 October 1997 | Ta' Qali National Stadium,Attard, Malta | 24 |  Malta | 2–0 | 5–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 3 June 1998 | Stade Olympique de la Pontaise,Lausanne, Switzerland | 30 |  Japan | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 6 | 14 June 1998 | Stade Geoffroy Guichard,Saint-Étienne, France | 32 |  Iran | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |
| 7 | 15 November 2000 | Stadionul Steaua,Bucharest, Romania | 48 |  Romania | 1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 8 | 24 March 2001 | Stadion Partizana, Belgrade,FR Yugoslavia | 49 |  Switzerland | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 15 August 2001 | Stadion Crvene Zvezde, Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia | 54 |  Faroe Islands | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 16 August 2002 | 61 |  Finland | 2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||
| Bologna | 3 November 2008 | 14 April 2009 | 22 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 25 | 36 | −11 | 018.18 |
| Catania | 8 December 2009 | 24 May 2010 | 25 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 32 | 23 | +9 | 040.00 |
| Fiorentina | 4 June 2010 | 7 November 2011 | 52 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 66 | 56 | +10 | 034.62 |
| Serbia | 21 May 2012 | 19 November 2013 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 28 | 21 | +7 | 036.84 |
| Sampdoria | 20 November 2013 | 1 June 2015 | 69 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 93 | 87 | +6 | 037.68 |
| Milan | 16 June 2015 | 12 April 2016 | 38 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 57 | 37 | +20 | 050.00 |
| Torino | 25 May 2016 | 4 January 2018 | 64 | 23 | 24 | 17 | 116 | 100 | +16 | 035.94 |
| Sporting CP | 18 June 2018 | 27 June 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | !— |
| Bologna | 28 January 2019 | 6 September 2022 | 142 | 46 | 38 | 58 | 196 | 228 | −32 | 032.39 |
| Total | 431 | 153 | 134 | 144 | 613 | 588 | +25 | 035.50 | ||
Vojvodina[94]
Red Star Belgrade[94]
Lazio[94]
Inter Milan[94]
Yugoslavia U21
Individual
Individual
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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