Tragedy struck Serbian top-flight football as Mladen Žižović, the coach of Radnički 1923, suddenly passed away during a match. The incident occurred on Monday during their fixture against Mladost Lučani, when Žižović collapsed on the touchline. He was immediately rushed to hospital, where doctors later confirmed his death. Preliminary reports suggest that heart complications may have been the cause.
The 44-year-old coach collapsed in the 22nd minute of the match. The medical team on the pitch acted swiftly, transporting him to hospital. The game was briefly halted but resumed shortly after, only for players to be informed within 20 minutes that Žižović had died.
The shocking news left players from both sides devastated, with several breaking down in tears on the pitch. Witnessing the grief-stricken scene, the referee eventually decided to abandon the match.
According to his assistant coach, Žižović had shown signs of discomfort prior to the incident. “He was giving me instructions and then spoke with the referee. A little later, he returned to the bench saying, ‘I don’t feel well, I don’t feel well,’ and then collapsed. If you watch the footage, you can even hear the screams,” he said.
It was also revealed that the coach had expressed dissatisfaction with the food served earlier. The assistant coach recalled, “He said the fish wasn’t good and that he wouldn’t eat it. During the warm-up, there were no issues, and the game started normally.”
Žižović had only recently taken charge of Radnički 1923, assuming the role on 23 October. Under his management, the team had recorded a league win and a cup defeat in his short tenure.
Speaking about the tragedy, player Chošić said, “We continued playing in the hope that he would return. We thought we could win for him. But we were stunned, lost our focus, yet still believed he would come back.”