FK Radnički 1923’s newly appointed head coach, Mladen Zizović, has died after collapsing from a heart attack on the sideline during a Serbian SuperLiga match. He was 44.
The drama unfolded in the first half at Mladost Lučani, where Zizović suddenly went down while overseeing the game.
Medical staff rushed onto the pitch and tended to him as play was suspended; he was carried from the field and the match briefly resumed. Minutes later, however, the club confirmed the worst and play was halted for good — players on both sides sank to the turf in visible dismay as the stadium realised what had happened.
Late Monday the club posted a message on Instagram announcing the loss: "With the deepest sorrow we inform the public, fans and sports friends that our chief of the coaching staff, Mladen Zizović, died during tonight's game between Mladost and Radnički 1923 in Lučani."
Radnički offered its sincere condolences to Zizović’s family, friends, and everyone who shared his love of football.
Zizović, who had a brief spell playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national team, had been appointed by Radnički less than two weeks earlier. The football world — teammates, opponents, and supporters alike — is left reeling by a departure so abrupt that a routine match turned instantly into a grieving ground.