GODLIKE: Mihajlovic, free-kick hat-trick taker that Messi & CR7 can't catch

Years and years, goals and goals, people come, people go... Football world never lack of stories, but only the classics can last forever. We will give you a ride to the most memorable football moments. Welcome to All Football GODLIKE column

The free-kick is always a thrill to witness. They can be a piece of fine craftsmanship, curved around the defensive wall; a big dipper struck over the line of defenders; the falling leaf of Brazilian lore; a strike with the sickle-shaped foot, generating immense dip and swerve; something from a cheeky mind stroked under the wall; or simply a ferocious, thunderous rip beyond the goalkeeper.

Over the years, football has seen many players who have specialised in taking set-pieces. Many of these are golden names of the sport – Messi, Ronaldo, Zico, Platini, Beckham, Ronaldinho – yet none of them were able to find the net three times from a free-kick in the same game. Indeed, three-kicks are amongst the most elusive of achievements.

Siniša Mihajlović - THREE free-kicks in a single game

Siniša Mihajlović was one of the extraordinary heroes who finished a free-kick hat-trick in one game, he was also one of the more intriguing characters of late-1990s and early-2000s football. 

A brutal defender with a wonderfully classy left foot, on the ball he was a Balkan Ronald Koeman, while off it he was at times like Vinnie Jones. His Koeman-like qualities extended to his prowess from free-kicks, with the Serb later admitting: “I played football for the free-kicks. I didn’t like football all that much, but the free-kicks were great. For me, that is football. If there hadn’t been that, I might not have played.”

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(Video: Free-kick hat trick!)

Some people said that Mihajlovic’s ball not going so fast as the speed of light, but it’s going average about 165 km/h.

Mihajlović played in Italy from 1992 to 2006, turning out for Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter. In 1998, he wore the Lazio shirt against his former club Sampdoria and gave a masterclass in whipping a free-kick. 

His first two strikes went over the wall and curled away from the left hand of the Sampdoria goalkeeper. The final effort curved inwards to the right of the goalkeeper, starting outside the far post and bending in with the skill of a magician.

It was a hat-trick of technical precision, with his body shape before striking the ball picture perfect. Thrusting his arm out to the side for balance, his left leg cocked and his right foot landed next to the ball in the same position each time to generate speed and curl. The consistency with which Mihajlović could do makes him one of the best dead-ball experts in history.

Did you know:

- The house in which Mihajlovic grew up, where his father had to replace the garage door every few weeks because Mihajlovic destroyed them by practising free-kicks.

- Mihajlovic once scored free kick hattrick from 3 attempts, and for three times he scored 2 free kick goals in one single game

- Still holds all free kick records in Seria A.

- Mihajlovic breaks Jürgen Klinsmann’s ribs, smash pleura with a ball from a free kick during a match between Yugoslavia - Germany 1998.

- On Inter's training, Mihajlovic shoots ball strongly, hit and breaks Alvaro Recoba's right ankle. Doctors on a first look thought it was a light injure, but later they realized that his ankle was crushed.

Sinisa Mihajlovic's astonishing free-kick shows

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