Bologna coach Mihajlovic to undergo treatment for leukaemia

Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic will return to hospital to undergo another round of treatment for leukaemia after scans showed a risk of a relapse, the Serbian said on Saturday.

The 53-year-old, who has been battling a severe form of the disease since 2019, underwent three cycles of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant during his first battle with it.

“My recovery after the transplant (of bone marrow in 2019) was great, but unfortunately, these diseases are devious,” Mihajlovic told reporters at a news conference.

“From the latest analysis some alarm bells have emerged and there could be a risk of a reappearance of the disease.

“To prevent this from happening, I was advised to undertake a therapeutic path. This time I will not put in a slide tackle like I did two and a half years ago on an escaping opponent. I’ll get a head start.”

Mihajlovic added that he would be admitted to Sant’Orsola Malpighi Hospital in Bologna sometime next week.

A European Cup winner with Red Star Belgrade in 1991 and a Cup Winners’ Cup winner with Lazio in 1999, Mihajlovic also won two Serie A titles and four Italian Cups with Lazio and Inter Milan.

He took over at Bologna in 2018 with the team stuck in the relegation zone and performed a remarkable transformation as he led them to a 10th place finish.

Bologna have finished 12th in the last two seasons of Serie A and are currently in the same position with 33 points after 29 games.