Sinisa Mihajlovic, who played for and coached numerous Italian Serie A teams and was famed for his spectacular free kicks, died on Friday after a long battle with cancer.
Mihajlovic was sacked as manager of Serie A club Bologna in September after they failed to record a win in their first five league matches.
The Serbian had become Bologna manager for the second time in 2019 and had been in charge while battling leukemia.
His playing career included lengthy spells at Sampdoria and Lazio and he also managed Serbia.
"You fought like a lion on the pitch and in life ... you are and you will always be a winner," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a tweet as tributes began to flood in from inside and outside the football world.
Hai lottato come un leone in campo e nella vita. Sei stato esempio e hai dato coraggio a molti che si trovano ad affrontare la malattia. Ti hanno descritto come un sergente di ferro, hai dimostrato di avere un gran cuore. Sei e resterai sempre un vincente.
A Dio Sinisa Mihajlovic pic.twitter.com/khwMrkGEe5— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) December 16, 2022
Mihajlovic's death, confirmed by his family in a statement, went immediately to the top of the main newspapers' websites in Italy, where he played for most of his career.
He also managed a number of clubs, including AC Milan.
"Goodbye boss, you will always live in our hearts," Bologna said in a tweet.
Addio Mister, vivrai per sempre nel nostro cuore pic.twitter.com/1ebCMHZoRf
— Bologna Fc 1909 (@Bolognafc1909) December 16, 2022
"Heaven has gained another legend. You will be sorely missed Sinisa," was the message from AC Milan.
Rest in peace, Siniša. pic.twitter.com/VI6hCIbcWj
— AC Milan (@acmilan) December 16, 2022
A midfielder or defender, Mihajlovic scored a number of spectacular goals from free kicks.
He made his name as part of the Red Star Belgrade team that won the European Cup in 1991.
He moved to Italy the following year when he joined AS Roma and went on to play for Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter. He was part of squads that won Serie A title with Lazio in 2000 and then Inter in 2006 in his last season as a player.
La S.S. Lazio piange la scomparsa di Sinisa Mihajlovic
— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio) December 16, 2022
Mister, sei stato un guerriero. Un esempio per tutti noi e soprattutto per me… Non ti dimenticherò mai. pic.twitter.com/sY3fJDzfTy
— Alessandro Nesta (@Nesta) December 16, 2022
Non si è mai pronti a salutare un compagno di viaggio.
Ciao Sinisa— Inter (@Inter) December 16, 2022
...Sinisa che era ed è tutto questo: un uomo vero e coraggioso, un’autentica leggenda che noi, alla #Sampdoria, non dimenticheremo mai.
— U.C. Sampdoria (@sampdoria) December 16, 2022
His coaching career began at Bologna in 2008 and took in stints at Catania, Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Torino, as well as AC Milan, where he was in charge for less than a year.
(Reporting by Gavin Jones and Keith Weir, editing by Toby Davis and Pritha Sarkar)
