Christmas cheer for Mihajlovic
Tuesday, 21 December 2004
By Aleksandr Boskovic
Whatever Christmas brings in Siniša Mihajlovic's household, it is unlikely to match the excitement of last weekend's events.
Loaded celebration
Dedicating a goal to a family member has become a routine way to celebrate a goal and when Mihajlovic ran towards his loved ones after scoring for FC Internazionale Milano on Sunday, few in the San Siro could have guessed at the depth of the Serbo-Montenegrin defender's feelings.
First meeting
But when the 35-year-old dedicated that winning goal against Brescia Calcio to his eleven-year-old son Marco, he did so having met the boy for the first time just 24 hours beforehand. Marco's mother is a former girlfriend of Mihajlovic but they broke up before he was born and, while accepting his legal responsibilities as a father, Mihajlovic had previously never been allowed to see his son.
'Happy and proud'
"That was the deal," Mihajlovic told uefa.com. "Initially we were supposed to meet when Marco got to 18, to talk, and to tell him what I felt and to see what I could do. Fortunately, we've now met seven years early. I am very happy and proud."
Flight to Milan
Mihajlovic's wife Ariana was responsible for bringing father and son together. They have been married for ten years and have four children, yet Ariana knew about Marco and could sense her husband's sadness at not seeing his eldest son. She decided to mediate and so it was that Marco flew into Milan on Saturday. Marco, who was already well aware of his father's identity, met all of his new family and accompanied them to the San Siro for the match against Brescia.
Only goal
Then, 27 minutes in, his father scored the game's only goal from a free-kick. "I could not promise him a goal," said Mihajlovic. "I said I would do my best. When I saw the ball in the net, there was no one happier than me in the world. I ran to the stand where my wife was seated with the children. I saw them. Dejan Stankovic was the first one to approach me on the pitch, and he knew the whole story."
'Fairy tale'
Mihajlovic, who left Belgrade for Italy in 1992, did not last the full 90 minutes after hurting his left thigh. But he was unconcerned. "It is totally unimportant," he said. "I could hardly wait to get home. There, finally, everyone was waiting for me. It was in all a very special day for me. I put the children to bed. My heart was full when I saw all five of them tucked in their beds. I have to thank Ariana for giving a new dimension to my life. The coming Christmas and New Year holidays we will spend all together. I feel like I'm living a fairy tale."