Bologna, official decision on Sinisa Mihajlovic
The relationship between the Serbian coach and the Emilian club comes to an end after more than three and a half years
After a start to the season below expectations-the Emilia team has collected only three points in five matches-Bologna has made a decision that had been in the air for a few days: Sinisa Mihajlovic, the coach of the Bologna club, has been removed from his post. Bologna itself made the announcement in a Twitter post, containing the statement from the club’s institutional website.
“The professional relationship between Bologna Fc 1909 and Sinisa Mihajlovic ends today. A decision that unfortunately became inevitable, despite the strong emotional bond that has been created with the club and the whole city in these three and a half exciting and dramatic years. Unfortunately, even technical cycles that have given sporting satisfaction, such as this one, can run out of steam and lose their initial momentum. Special thanks go to Sinisa and his staff for tackling the job, under extraordinary and humanly delicate conditions, with exceptional dedication and professionalism,” reads the club’s note.
“It was the most difficult decision I have made since I have been president of Bologna,” said Joey Saputo, the club’s patron. “In these years we have lived together with Sinisa beautiful and painful moments that have cemented a relationship not only professional but above all human. Mihajlovic has faced the disease with courage and determination since the day he wanted to make public, in an emotional press conference, his state of health. Since then, despite the hospitalizations and the heavy effects of the treatments he underwent, he has always remained close to the team, making every effort to be in touch with the players, either in person or in connection, thanks also to the professionalism of his staff. The club and the entire city have rallied around the coach in this difficult personal experience, although Mihajlovic has always rightly demanded to be evaluated only for his work. Now, unfortunately, the time has come for a change of technical leadership-a painful decision that we had to make for the good of the team and the club. But even if Sinisa Mihajlovic from today will no longer be the coach of Bologna, this club and all its people will always be by his side until his complete and total recovery and in the continuation of his career.”
The tone of the words is also echoed by Ad Claudio Fenucci, who added, “The relationship we all have with Sinisa Mihajlovic goes far beyond the professional aspect, and it is normal that today we are all sorry for an epilogue that we tried as much as possible to avoid. I will always be bound to Sinisa by a friendship and affection that go beyond our respective professional roles, but today we find ourselves having to make this painful choice for the sake of a team that is first and foremost the heritage of the entire city and its fans. To Sinisa I say thank you for his commitment to his work, even under conditions of personal difficulty. His is an example that remains in the history of our club,” he concluded.
