Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic praised Roma tactician Jose Mourinho ahead of the big game at the Renato Dall’Ara on Wednesday. ‘He was close to me during my illness, and I will never forget this’.
The two teams clash in the 15th round of fixtures and Mihajlovic admitted the two had a ‘quarrel’ earlier in their careers but have since cleared the air and ‘remained friends’.
Mihajlovic, who went through two cycles of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant during his battle against and aggressive form of leukemia.
The Serbian coach revealed Mourinho was ‘always close’ during his toughest moments and praised the Portuguese tactician ahead of their meeting tomorrow.
“He’s a great coach and a great person,” Mihajlovic said at a press conference. “He wrote me when I became a grandfather, telling me that he can’t wait for it to happen to him, and I replied there’s always time: I’m very happy to see him.
“I almost always liked him, only at the beginning we quarrelled.”
The quarrel he referred to happened during Catania vs. Inter. Mihajlovic recalled: “Once he said something against me and I replied that I couldn’t speak to someone who had never played football at a high level.
“In the end, however, we clarified and remained friends. Mourinho has always been close to me, even during my illness and I don’t forget this.
“We come from two countries where being cunning and loyal are the main character of the people, so there’s something in common.”