Millwall Football Club will pay tribute to Matija Sarkic at its 2024/25 Sky Bet Championship opener at The Den against Watford on Saturday 10th August (kick-off 12.30pm).
The Lions' former goalkeeper passed away suddenly on Saturday 15th June, aged 26, leaving the club and entire footballing community devastated.
The club has been in continuous dialogue with the Sarkic family since his passing, and alongside first-team and senior management at The Den, considered numerous tribute ideas to remember Matija by.
Ahead of the first League game of the season against The Hornets, the club can confirm it will be retiring the number 20 shirt in memory of our dear friend and colleague, ‘Mati’.
Plans are also underway to produce a mural painting of Matija, which will feature in the Cold Blow Lane concourse.
The club will also introduce the opportunity for fans to vote for their 2024/25 'Save of the Season', with the winner presented with the 'Matija Sarkic Award'.
On matchday, the club is honoured to be joined at The Den by Matija’s parents, Bojan and Natalie, brothers Oliver and Danilo, and partner Phoebe.
From 12.15pm, the Sarkic family will be pitchside for the duration of the commemorations, which will start with a tribute video - in memory of Matija - that will play on the big screen.
At its conclusion, the players and officials, wearing black armbands, will emerge from the tunnel with both captains carrying wreaths.
A minute's applause will then take place as both sides gather at the centre-circle, before the skippers lay their respective wreaths behind each goal. The match will then kick-off.
Please take to your seats early to ensure that you do not miss any of the planned tributes.
Further matchday information - and ticket selling arrangements - ahead of the game will be released in due course.
