FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template
When Sinisa “Superboot” Mihajlovic lines up for one of his 100mph free-kicks at the World Cup finals, Yugoslavia’s rivals will know it’s time to run for cover.
Mihajlovic’s ferocious drives—whether from 25, 30 or 35 yards—have become famous in the Italy, where the libero’s efforts have won a string of matches for Sampdoria. Nearly all of his goals in the Serie A have come from free-kicks. Not surprisingly, it’s a skill which has needed years of practice. “Being able to shoot is a natural gift, but turning that into a winning shot takes hours upon hours of training,” Mihajlovic said.
“My dad gave once me a football as a present and I used to practice kicking it against the garage doors, days after day for hours on end, making a terrible racket. The neighbours couldn’t stand it.” My dad was happy enough, although it meant that twice a year he had to change the garage doors because I used to break them. “
Having driven his neighbours to distraction, Mihajlovic began a professional career at Vojvodina, wining the Yugoslav league title with them in 1989 as a 20-year-old. A year later, he joined Red Star Belgrade and won the European Cup in his first season, beating Olympique Marseille in the 1991 final on penalties. The youngster, who claims his shots were clocked at nearly 100mph by researchers at Belgrade University, won two more league titles (1991 and 1992) with Red Star, along with the 1991 Intercontinental Cup, before starting his career in the Serie A with AS Roma.
Italy may have been the right place for someone with Mihajlovic’s talent, but Roma were the wrong club. He scored only one goal with the capital team, and even his special weapon began to get rusty. “It didn’t go all that well at Roma,” he admits. “But you have to bear in mind that I didn’t know anything about Italian goalkeepers and for a free-kick specialist that’s pretty well fundamental.”You need to know who’s better at high balls and who is better on the ground. “
Mihajlovic signed for Sampdoria in the summer of 1994 and his recent success has meant that it would more than 10 million dollars to prise him away. February’s match against Atalanta was typical. He limbered up in the 52nd minute with a 20-yard free-kick which cracked against the woodwork and in the 65th minute found the net from 25 yards. “The further away, the easier it is for me,” he said. “It seems odd, but from 30 yards it’s easier to hit the ball the way I want to and to put it where I want to. And he revealed: ” The secret is in the run-up; I always take the same one so that I don’t give the goalkeeper any clues as to whether I’m going for power or for precision. “
The Yugoslav’s prowess comes from practice, for as the now headless wooden men can testify at Sampdoria’s training ground, Mihajlovic still spends hours sending ballistic free-kicks at defensive walls. However, with the fortune he has earned down the years as a professional, one thing has changed since he was a boy. Mihajlovic doesn’t kick footballs against his own garage door: the Ferrari 456 GTA he ordered in February will be ready for him after the World Cup finals, and it needs a nice home.