• Series A. Classification

He arrived in Verona in a dark Mercedes, with tinted windows and a mask that protected him from breathing the same air as the rest of the world. Upon entering the stadium there were not thousands of fans waiting to surrender at the feet of any star, but a few fans who struggled to record the image with their mobile and shout: "Cheer up, don't give in." Sinisa Mihajlovic had just traveled by car the 145 kilometers that separate the Hospital Sant'Orsola from Bologna, where he had been dealing with leukemia for 40 days, from the field where his team was to play. He had promised the Bolognese squad he would be for the league debut, despite playing away from home, and such a guy can not miss his word.

Only a few minutes before its emergence it was known that Mihajlovic would occupy the visiting bench. His entry in the Marcantonio Bentegodi surprised players, managers and fans. With about 10 kilos less, visibly fragile, a cap and a dressing on his neck , the coach born in present-day Croatia - of Yugoslav parents - always defined himself more Serbian than Croatian - left the locker room under the tribute of the entire stands. It was not for many efforts, although shortly after starting the game, he had already jumped from the bank to the technical area to give instructions to his team.

It is something he has not stopped doing since last July he announced with a broken voice that he had been diagnosed with a leukemia that would keep him away from football for an indeterminate period. "It's a challenge that I intend to win, but I need the help of people who are by my side," he told a news conference. He entered the clinic where he is still receiving chemotherapy, but did not forget his team, with which he still has a contract. The club videotaped the workouts and friendly matches he has played throughout the summer. After the pre-season defeat against Cologne, the players said that they are still hearing the shouts of the coach in Germany.

Sterilized wardrobe

"We were stunned when we saw him appear at the concentration hotel," said Bologna captain Andrea Poli after the game against Verona. The local team had to sterilize the costumes in record time and distribute water bottles exclusively for Mihajlovic. The coach endured practically the entire game, until in the 92nd minute, moments before the final whistle he left. He did not want to be the center of attention. He would have simply preferred to witness a victory for his team, which saw how he was tied after advancing on the scoreboard. Although the overall calculation of the day was much better than expected.

If there was a winner of the start of Series A it was Sinisa Mihajlovic. This was highlighted by all the chronicles and the front pages of the newspapers the day after. Even some generalist newspapers, such as Il Corriere della Sera , dedicated their cover to the coach's courage. "Warriors recognize each other from afar," his wife, Arianna, posted on Instagram. In the last image of her husband she was seen again with a mask, in the hallways of the stadium, on the way back to the hospital , to which she had to return after the game.

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