Mihajlovic, Cairo: ‘A fighter who never gave up’

It’s sunny, you can see the light, said Sinisa Mihajlovic on that happy evening. It was December 18, 2019, the first dark months seemed to be behind us. The entire room stood while the Serbian coach received the Gazzetta dello Sport Legend award from the hands of Urbano Cairo, with whom he had a nice duet on stage. Far beyond football, Sinisa has established a personal relationship with the president of RCS and del Toro, who had wanted him on the grenade bench in 2016 and had remained close to him even after the end of the relationship in 2018. “It’s impossible not to love him : he was a great fighter with a strong and decisive character, but with a good and generous heart like few others”, the memory of the president entrusted to the Turin website on such a tough day.

President Cairo, how did you experience the news?

“I was in contact with some people close to the family and sadly I had recently learned that things were getting worse. After his release from Bologna, we spoke immediately: he was tonic as always, eager to get better in order to resume his life at 360°. He had always remained the same, vital, enthusiastic. A few days ago, just before I learned of his worsening condition, I had really thought about him. I said to myself: ‘I wonder how Sinisa will be now because I haven’t heard from him in a while…’. But then, just in the last week, he got worse ”.

How did you experience the time of your illness as a friend?

“I remember where I was when the news came: it was July 2019, I went to the beach with my family. I sent him a simple message to tell him that, if I could help, I would be at his complete disposal. He immediately called me and from there we stayed in contact throughout that period of treatment. Seeing him recover was a relief. Among other things, that Bologna retreat that he had led almost ‘remotely’ had anticipated what would then have been for everyone in the period of the pandemic. But he had overcome that difficulty effectively because he knew how to motivate everyone, a word was enough to push him to give his best. Above all, he knew how to inspire young people, he was very good with them: he launched Donnarumma at Milan and with us he made Lukic explode and made Ljajic have a great season ”.

In the president-coach relationship, what is the professional and human quality of Sinisa that has remained inside you the most?

“The bravery. A man of great courage, strength, who couldn’t bear the thought of giving up or quitting. He was truly indomitable: he was, and a lot, in his illness, but also in his life. He didn’t worry in vain, he faced everything with his chest out, without fear. As a coach, then, he knew how to gather the players around him, always going on the attack: his football was offensive, aggressive. And then he also fascinated him for his career as a footballer: reviewing his free-kicks was always a pleasure ”.

Not only the “Legend” award at the Gazzetta Awards: Sinisa was also a great friend of the Gazzetta.

“Yes, when we gave him the award 3 years ago I saw him in good shape. Then in 2021 at the Trento Sport Festival we had fun together. A beautiful, sincere, frank relationship had been re-established. I will miss him very much even if they didn’t see much, but it was enough just to take a look at one of his press conferences to see the fighter again”.

Mihajlovic has chosen to experience his illness in public, without fear of appearing fragile: how much has it helped those who lived and still experience his illness?

“He wanted to give courage like this: having shown himself as he actually was in the face of leukemia was a comfort to many who recognized themselves in him. In his beautiful autobiography he also laid bare from this point of view ”.

If you could send him one last message now, what would it be?

“It was nice to meet you, mister. And thank you, thank you for everything.”