Coach refuses a job due to his sacked and ill colleague

New season is in full swing in all Top 5 European clubs, at least according to the number of coach changes. After only 5 or 6 rounds (depending on the league), a number of coaches have already been dismissed and Siniša Mihajlović from Bologna is the last on the list. After a draw at Spezia last week, the club decided to sack the Serb, who is currently going through a battle with leukemia for the second time in three years.

Many fans were left stunned and criticized the decision since he is battling for his life, and after all, had leukemia while also in Bologna in 2019, while others were telling that the result is the only thing which defines a coach, and that the team has no wins after 5 games. The club went after their main target – coach Roberto De Zerbi, who is a free agent after leaving war thorn Ukraine, but they got an unexpected answer.

According to Il Corriere dello Sport, former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk coach was open to take the job, but only if Mihajlović resigns. After he got the sack, the club called the Italian again and got the answer:

‘I’d like, but I can’t do it after Sinisa. Money can’t buy everything”.

Exodus continues - Italian coach leaves his post at Ukrainian giants

This was later confirmed by Mihajlovic’s wife Arianna, who posted a picture of Siniša and Roberto and wrote “Two great men, I hope youths will learn from these two giants,” and then quoted De Zerbi’s quote regarding her husband. This is not the first time De Zerbi showed his human side. After taking over Shakhtar a war between Ukraine and Russia started and he initially refused to leave the country. 

“Foreign teams were looking for me, but I didn’t even want to talk about it. I’m watching what’s happening and I’d like to come back. We would have won the championship for years” he told later, when he was forced to leave the country after all.

Leonardo's transfer list: Motta as coach, Pogba, Dembele, Mane

After De Zerbi refused, Bologna made a deal with Thiago Motta, an unsuccessful manager of Spezia and Genova, who will get his third opportunity in Serie A. As unveiled in the French press, he was also a candidate for a PSG coach, while Leonardo was still the director, but he was sacked before he carried out the idea.

SERIE A - ROUND 6

Saturday

16:00: (1.31) Napoli (6.00) Spezia (9.50)

19:00: (1.51) Inter (4.50) Torino (7.75)

21:45: (6.75) Sampdoria (4.30) Milan (1.58)

Sunday

13:30: (1.38) Atalanta (5.50) Cremonese (9.50)

16:00: (3.10) Bologna (3.35) Fiorentina (2.50)

16:00: (2.35) Lecce (3.35) Monza (3.40)

16:00: (2.80) Sassuolo (3.40) Udinese (2.70)

19:00: (1.66) Lazio (4.10) Verona (5.90)

21:45: (1.46) Juventus (4.50) Salernitana (8.00)

Monday

21:45: (5.40) Empoli (3.70) Roma (1.79)

***odds are subject to change***

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