Yahoo News Fifa chief vows Matija Sarkic 'will not be forgotten' as legend talks of heartbreak
Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, has sent a personal letter to the Montenegro national team to express his condolences about the shock death of goalkeeper Matija Sarkic.
Sarkic, who played for Stoke City on loan last year, has died suddenly at the age of 26. He had put in a star performance for Montenegro only days previously and was looking forward to his second full season at Millwall, where he had played a key role as they pulled to Championship safety.
There has been a flood of tributes from across the football world and Infantino wrote: "Words seem inadequate to express the sadness we feel for this loss."
He referenced Sarkic's career from Anderlecht's youth set up to Stoke, via Aston Villa, Wolves and Birmingham, before going on to join Millwall last summer, then added: "Young promising talented goalkeeper, known for his smart, bright and warm character, leadership and passion, his legacy and trajectory on and off the pitch will not be forgotten and he will be truly missed."
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Dejan Savićević, the former Yugoslavia and AC Milan legend who grew up in what is now Podgorica, the Montenegro capital, has been visibly emotional as he has talked about the country's loss.
He said: "My heart is breaking. When the national team goalkeeper coach Božidar Vuksanović told me on Saturday that Matija had passed away, I couldn't believe it - and still can't. I couldn't even imagine that this could happen to someone, an athlete, at full strength, and especially not Matija. A true professional, a phenomenal guy, family-oriented, dedicated guy, who has never even had a drink, let alone anything else. I have no words, just sadness and pain.
"(Montenegro coach Robert Prosinecki) was especially impressed by his footwork, along with all the other qualities. He was supposed to be the heartbeat of the national team for the next six to seven years.
"It is a great loss. These are the moments when a person is speechless, when he cannot find words. We have to mourn and remember a top guy, a top goalkeeper, who was born far from Montenegro and who loved his Montenegro above all else."
Neil Harris, the Millwall manager, was also close to tears.
He said: "I was with him last Thursday at the training ground and he had a huge smile on his face and was so excited about going to see his family in Montenegro - he was radiant. Every day he came in with a smile on his face and just wanted to be better. He was very driven and had high aspirations for himself.
"I can't praise him highly enough as a human being and also as a professional. He loved the game and loved his job. It's no surprise when you read people talking so fondly of him. They talk about his radiant smile and his nature and his goodwill."
