Matija Sarkic, the goalkeeper for Millwall and the Montenegro national team, has tragically passed away at the age of 26. Reports indicate that Sarkic fell ill at an apartment in Budva, Montenegro, on Saturday morning.
Millwall Football Club expressed their devastation in a statement: “Everyone at the club sends their love and condolences to Matija’s family and friends at this immensely sad time. The club has ended further statements for now and requests that everyone respect the privacy of Matija’s family.
Born in Grimsby, Sarkic began his football career in Anderlecht’s academy before joining Aston Villa in 2015. His career included loan spells at Wigan, Stratford, Havant & Waterlooville, and Livingston. In 2020, he transferred to Wolves, where he played 60 games during loan periods at Shrewsbury, Birmingham, and Stoke. Last August, Sarkic joined Millwall and made 33 appearances for the club.
Sarkic debuted for Montenegro against Belarus in 2019 and was recently on international duty for a friendly against Belgium. The Montenegro FA released a statement acknowledging his sudden passing: “A beloved member of the ‘Brave Falcons’, an eternally smiling guy, played for our ‘A’ selection in nine games, showing how much he means to this team. Together with his twin brother Oliver, he passed through all the junior categories of the Montenegrin national team. In the jersey of that iconic London club [Millwall], he left his mark, which was yet to become part of a bigger and more beautiful story. Premature death stopped that and caused great pain to the Sarkic family. The Football Association of Montenegro expresses its sincere condolences to the Sarkic family.”
The Football Association also expressed their sorrow: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends. As well as everybody at the club and the Montenegro national team at this very sad time.” The Professional Footballers’ Association and the Football League also extended their condolences to Sarkic’s family and friends.
Matija Sarkic’s untimely death is a significant loss to the football community, and he will be remembered for his contributions to both his club and his national team.
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