Serbia's national soccer team head coach Radomir Antic performs during his team's training session at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa, 22 June 2010. Serbia will face Australia in the FIFA 2010 World Cup group D soccer match on June 23.
Chinese club Shandong Luneng paid homage to Serbian coach Radomir Antic, who passed away on Tuesday, in a statement on Weibo: "We will feel extremely grateful for your hard work in Luneng forever."
JINAN, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The football world mourned the passing of respected Serbian coach Radomir Antic on Tuesday.
Antic passed away of pancreatitis aged 71. He is the only coach in history to have managed Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
Over the past ten years, Antic spent two years in China, coaching Shandong Luneng FC and Hebei Zhongji FC respectively.
Radomir Antic (L), head coach of Serbia greets the audience after the 2010 World Cup Group D soccer match against Germany at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on June 18, 2010. Serbia won 1-0. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
His biggest success came with Atletico, where Antic won both the league title and the Copa del Rey during the 1995/96 season, his first season in charge. But Antic failed to replicate his success at either Real Madrid or Barcelona.
Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil said: "With the loss of Radomir, today is a heart-breaking day for the Atletico family."
Barcelona wrote on Weibo: "The Barca family mourns the loss of Antic. Rest in Peace."
The coach also led the Serbian national team between 2008 and 2010 before finishing his career in China.
In 2013, Antic led Shandong Luneng to runners-up in the Chinese Super League, and left after the season. He came back in 2015 to manage Hebei but left after half a year.
Luneng paid homage to Antic in a statement on Weibo: "We will feel extremely grateful for your hard work in Luneng forever." ■
