European football is in mourning after Bosnian manager Mladen Zizovic tragically collapsed and died during a Serbian top-flight match on Sunday evening.
The 44-year-old Radnički 1923 coach was overseeing his side’s Mozzart Bet Super League fixture against Mladost Lucani when he fell to the ground on the sidelines in the 22nd minute, The Sun reports. Medics immediately rushed to his aid and transported him to hospital, but despite their best efforts, Zizovic could not be saved.
The match was initially suspended while Zizovic received medical attention, before being briefly resumed as he was taken to hospital.
Just 20 minutes later, confirmation of his death reached the stadium — and both sets of players collapsed to the pitch in tears. The referee abandoned the match before half-time as teammates, coaches, and staff broke down in shock and disbelief.
Zizovic had only been appointed manager of Radnički 1923 on October 23. Sunday’s game was his third in charge.
His player, Mehmed Cosic, later revealed haunting details of Zizovic’s final hours. Speaking to Faktor, Cosic said the manager had complained about feeling unwell earlier that day and even refused to finish his lunch. “They say he complained about the fish, said he wouldn’t eat it anymore. That’s what he was talking about,” Cosic said, per the Daily Mail. “There were no problems during the warm-up, the game started, everything was ok.”
Cosic recalled the moment everything changed. “He was giving me instructions, turned around and at one point I saw that he was talking to the referee by the benches. Then he went towards our bench, turned to the others and said ‘I’m not feeling well, I’m not feeling well.’ He fell, you saw everything else. In the video that appeared on social networks, you can also hear screams.”
No cause of death has been reported at this time.
As the team tried to regroup and continue, players hoped against hope that Zizovic would recover. “We continued the game, hoping that the worst wouldn’t happen and that he would be with us again. It was clear that that wasn’t it, but we said that we were playing for him and that we wanted to reward him with a victory. We weren’t focused, we were in disbelief, but we didn’t want to disappoint him,” Cosic said. “We believed that he would come back and be with us again, and that we would celebrate the victory.
“Then there was complete shock. The referee suddenly stopped the game. Someone said ‘he died’. Everything stopped in an instant.”
Footage from the stadium showed players sobbing and embracing each other on the pitch after learning the devastating news. Staff members tried to comfort one another as the full extent of the tragedy sank in. The moment can be seen below:
Radnički 1923 later confirmed that players and staff were given the week off from training to mourn, and their next fixture against Čukarički has been postponed. The club also announced that Zizovic’s funeral will take place on Thursday.
Tributes have poured in from across Bosnia, Serbia, and the wider football world. The Serbian Football Association said: “The Football Association of Serbia has received with deep sorrow and disbelief the news of the sudden death of FK Radnički 1923 coach Mladen Zizovic, who passed away during the Mozzart Bet Super League of Serbia match between Mladost and Radnicki 1923 in Lucani. His untimely departure represents a tremendous loss for the entire football community. The Football Association of Serbia expresses its deepest condolences to the Zizovic family, the members of FK Radnicki 1923, as well as all friends and admirers of his character and work. Rest in peace, Mladen. Your love for football and the legacy you left behind will remain with us forever.”
Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade also shared their condolences, saying: “With sadness, we received the news that Radnicki’s coach from Kragujevac, Mladen Zizovic, has suddenly passed away. Our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and club. Rest in peace, Mladen.”
Radnički 1923 released their own emotional statement: “A man who left a deep mark wherever he worked with his knowledge, calmness and nobility. Although he spent a short time in Kragujevac, he managed to gain the respect of everyone at the club, among players, associates and fans, with his energy, professionalism and human qualities. FK Radnički 1923 expresses its deepest condolences to the family, friends and everyone who knew Mladen. His dedication to football, passion for the game, and human warmth will forever remain etched in the memories of all who had the honor of knowing him. Rest in peace, Mladen.”
In Bosnia, his former club FK Borac Banja Luka — where Zizovic served as both player and manager — released a heartfelt tribute and even commissioned a mural outside their stadium in his honour. The club’s players wrote: “Boss, Our Ziza, We can’t believe that you left us. We are shaken by the terrible news that reached us at Platanova 6 and we refuse to admit that we will no longer see you smiling, that we will no longer hear you making jokes at your own expense and that of others, that we will no longer listen to you talk about the football you gave your life to. You left us at the age of 44, and we can only remember every moment you spent at the City Stadium. First as a player, and then as a coach who achieved the greatest European success in our history. We will remember that you gave your best to Borca and Banja Luka and that together we wrote stories for eternity. It’s hard to admit that you’re gone. Life is cruel and takes the best of us too soon. It remains for us that you live through us and that we pass on the story of Mladen Zizovic, a man, a husband, a father, a brother, a son, a coach and a football player. Young man, may your glory be eternal. Banjaluka and Borac will forever remember you.”
Zizovic’s career was defined by his dedication to the game. He made two appearances for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team and played his entire career in Bosnia and Albania before moving into management. Over the years, he led seven clubs, including Borac Banja Luka, where he guided the team into European competition.
His sudden death has shaken the football community across the Balkans and beyond — not only for its shocking nature but for the affection and respect he commanded everywhere he went. Players described him as calm, kind, and passionate — a man whose influence extended far beyond the pitch.
“The entire football community is in mourning,” one Serbian outlet wrote, as clubs and supporters from across the region paid their respects to “Ziza,” a manager remembered as much for his humanity as for his football mind.
As fans continue to gather outside stadiums and social media fills with messages of grief, one thing is clear: Mladen Zizovic’s love for football — and the impact he had on those who played for him — will not be forgotten. Our thoughts go out to his family, loved ones, and teammates at this time.
Featured image credit: X (screenshots)
