Football Manager Mladen Zizovic dies after suffering heart attack during match
- By Web Desk -
- Nov 06, 2025
Lucani, Serbia: Football manager Mladen Zizovic has died after suffering a fatal heart attack during a Serbian SuperLiga match.
Footage shows the 44-year-old giving instructions to his players just minutes before collapsing on the sidelines while managing Radnički 1923 in their away fixture against Mladost Lucani.
Zizovic, a former Bosnian international, received immediate medical attention on the pitch before being rushed to a nearby hospital. Despite efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead en route.
Television coverage captured Zizovic animatedly coaching his side in the fourth minute of play, when Radnicki were leading 1–0. However, he collapsed on the touchline in the 22nd minute, prompting a swift response from medics.
Bosnian coach Mladen Zizovic of FK Radnicki 1923 sadly passed away on November 3rd at age 45 after suffering a heart attack during a match in the 21st minute.
He was rushed to hospital, but couldn’t be saved. The team learned at minute 41. 💔pic.twitter.com/ImcGjDElaw
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) November 5, 2025
Although the match initially continued after he was taken away by ambulance, it was abandoned shortly before half-time when players were informed of his passing. Heartbroken teammates and opponents were seen collapsing to the ground and kneeling in tears in tribute to the late coach.
Radnički 1923 later released an emotional statement, saying: “A man who left a deep mark wherever he worked with his knowledge, calmness and nobility.”
Television footage showed Zizovic shouting instructions to his players during the fourth minute of the match, with his side 1-0 up.
Zizovic had an extensive playing career spanning from 1997 to 2016, earning two caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina before moving into management. Radnicki 1923 was his seventh club as a coach, and Sunday’s match was only his third in charge since his appointment on October 23.
Local media reported that he had complained of feeling unwell earlier in the day after eating fish, though it remains unclear whether this contributed to his collapse.