“Rest in peace, warrior”: the emotional farewell of Juan Vargas to Mihajlovic

Sinisa Mihajlovic, with a long history in Italy as a footballer and coach, died this Friday at the age of 53, a victim of leukemia. The unfortunate news put the world of football in mourning and also touched Juan Manuel Vargasformer manager of the Serbian at Fiorentina, who spoke via social networks to dedicate a few words in tribute to DT.

“Rest in peace warrior, great man, great lord. Mihajlovic family strength”, wrote the former national defender through Instagram, adding to the tributes to the late strategist, with whom he met at Fiorentina between 2010 and 2011.

Mihajlovic’s wife and their five children regretted in a statement the “unjust and premature death” of the player who defended the colors of Roma, Lazio, Sampdoria and Inter Milan. It was “a unique man and an extraordinary professional” who announced his illness in 2019, they added.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stressed “an example of courage for those who face the disease”. “You fought like a lion on the pitch as in life”, he wrote on Twitter.

Mihajlovic had been fired at the beginning of September as Bologna manager. The Serb made public that he did not understand this decision after three and a half years at the club, marked by his fight against leukaemia. “I have never been a hypocrite. Nor will I be this time: I do not understand this dismissal”, wrote the former soccer player in an open letter in La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Serb began his career as a coach at Bologna during the 2008-2009 season. Later he managed Fiorentina, AC Milan, the Serbian national team and Torino, without achieving great results, before returning to the Bologna bench. Author of 69 goals in 455 professional matches, he became famous for his precise free-kicks.

In Serbia he won three national championships and the European Cup (former Champions League) with Red Star Belgrade in 1991. In Italy, he was Serie A champion with Lazio (2000) and Inter (2006) and also won four Italian Cups with both teams, in 2000 and 2004 with the Romans and in 2005 and 2006 with Inter. In addition, with Lazio he also won the extinct Cup Winners’ Cup in 1999.