Mladen Zizovic, the coach of FK Radnicki 1923, a prominent Serbian top-division club, tragically passed away after suffering a heart attack on the sidelines during a match. He was just 44 years old.
In an announcement on Instagram late Monday, the club expressed their profound sorrow, stating, “We deeply regret to inform the public, fans, and fellow sports enthusiasts that our head coach, Mladen Zizovic, has died during tonight’s match between Mladost and Radnicki 1923 in Lucani.”
FC Radnicki 1923 extended heartfelt condolences to Zizovic’s family, friends, and all those who shared his passion for football.
The incident took place during the first half of the game in the Serbian Super League at Mladost Lucani.
Play was momentarily paused as medical personnel attended to Zizovic, but it resumed after he was taken away. However, when news of his passing reached the field minutes later, the game was stopped and players knelt in shock and grief.
Reports from local media indicated that Zizovic’s heart had “exploded.”
Zizovic had a brief spell with the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina and had only been appointed as the coach of Radnicki a little over a week ago.