Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has revealed that he takes comfort from his previous experiences and has reassured that “everything will be beautiful” after the current lockdown.
Mihajlovic is staying at home during the Coronavirus outbreak, just like the rest of the Italians are, and in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport, the 51-year-old points out that a lot has happened since he spoke to them about his experiences on his 50th birthday.
Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has revealed that he takes comfort from his previous experiences and has reassured that “everything will be beautiful” after the current lockdown.
Mihajlovic is staying at home during the Coronavirus outbreak, just like the rest of the Italians are, and in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport, the 51-year-old points out that a lot has happened since he spoke to them about his experiences on his 50th birthday.
He has been through a very tough period after being diagnosed with leukaemia, but he also explained that his previous experiences in life helps his outlook on the current crisis.
“Afterwards it will be beautiful… and that afterwards will come soon,” Mihajlovic told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Only a year has passed, and all this has happened. I’m destined to live many lives in one.”
He has previously talked about his poor background, the move to Italy and the war in former Yugoslavia. He has a long experience in football, where he has been fortunate enough to play for Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter.
He later became the assistant coach at Inter, leading to spells as head coach of Bologna, Catania, Fiorentina, Serbia, Sampdoria, Milan, Torino and Sporting CP.
He has now returned to Renato Dall’Ara and has managed to lift the Rossoblu to 10th in Serie A after struggling in the bottom of the League.
“The exciting ride with Bologna,” he continued. “Caught with one foot and a half in Serie B and brought to tenth place, the resolutions for the season and then suddenly leukaemia, hospitalisation, treatment, darkness, the tears, the fight, transplantation, the light and the return to life. Football never left me, even from the hospital bed.
“I understand that for those who are not accustomed, it may seem like a sacrifice, but for me these precautions that they are implementing are easy to follow. I spent months locked in a hospital room, nine square metres, attached to wires and drip, without being able to open a window. You think it’s a problem to be with your family at home and go out on the terrace to smoke a cigarette?
“I’ve been using a mask for months and I don’t hug or shake hands. I didn’t have to change my habits. I’m a bit anti-social, it didn’t bother me to avoid many contacts, rather jokingly I often say that I will keep this precaution for the next five years…
Mihajlovic has revealed that he is enjoying life at home but understands that it could be tough to stay in isolation.
“I like it. I’m not underestimating neither the dangers of the Coronavirus, that will eradicate, nor the anxiety of those who may not be used to being isolated at home.
“Even my wife Arianna looks like a lion in a cage. She moves more than certain players on the pitch. She only goes out to do the shopping. Everyone has his own experience; I don’t want to make comparisons.
“But in your opinion, after having lived through two wars, the bombs that could destroy your home, curfews, it will never be a problem staying at home, on the sofa in front of the TV, reading a book or going to the terrace to smoke?
“After months in the hospital, to stay at home with my family is a privilege. After the illness I have often said that everything has renewed value for me, and it looks beautiful to me. A breath of fresh air, a shower with water running down your face, the panorama. I now appreciate every single moment of my life.
“Today, I can add some aspect of being at home…”