Tragedy in Serbia: Radnicki 1923 coach dies during match
The Serbian championship was struck by tragedy this weekend: Radnicki 1923 coach Mladen Zizovic died during a match after suffering a medical emergency on the sideline.
Serbian football is in mourning. Mladen Zizovic, coach of FK Radnicki 1923, collapsed on the sideline before succumbing to an apparent heart attack during the league match against Mladost Lucani on Saturday. The 44-year-old Bosnian coach fell in the first half, prompting the immediate suspension of the match.
He received care on site and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where his death was confirmed shortly afterward. On the announcement of the terrible news, players and officials were overwhelmed with emotion: several collapsed on the pitch, some in tears, before the referee brought the match to a definitive end.
A former Bosnian international who had played for Zrinjski Mostar, Zizovic had just overseen his third match in charge of the Kragujevac club, which he had joined on October 23. The Serbian Football Federation hailed it as “a huge loss for the entire football community,” while Red Star Belgrade offered its condolences to the deceased’s family and to Radnicki 1923. The club, shaken, paid tribute to “a great man and a passionate lover of the game” who “will be missed by everyone.”
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