Milan Mandarić is no longer active in football or business. He died on 4 October 2025, aged 87, and the English Football League and BBC Sport both reported his death. Before that, in June 2025, he said he would try to assemble a rescue bid for Sheffield Wednesday, the club he had owned from 2010 to 2015, but he later said he was no longer pursuing a return. As of October 2026, the most accurate answer to “what is he up to these days” is that he has died.
What he was doing in 2025
In June 2025, Mandarić told BBC Radio Sheffield that he intended to try to put together a rescue bid for Sheffield Wednesday. He spoke of consulting former club executives and said he hoped to speak with then-owner Dejphon Chansiri. BBC Sport reported these comments from that interview. This was a stated intention, not a completed return or takeover.
Later in June 2025, he said he was no longer pursuing a return. He concluded that his involvement might not be in the club’s best interests and said he did not want to get in the way of discussions involving other interested parties. For readers who saw only the first report, the later withdrawal is the position that matters. The planned bid should not be read as an ongoing takeover effort.
His death in October 2025
The EFL announced that Mandarić had died, aged 87, and gave the date as 4 October 2025. BBC Sport reported that he died in Belgrade after a short illness. The family statement reported by BBC Sport read: “His love for football was only surpassed by that for his family. He will be sadly missed by his two daughters and three grandchildren.” BBC’s report attributes this to the family and does not name an individual speaker.
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His football ownership record
BBC Sport reported three English ownership periods. The EFL’s notice describes his earlier football ownership in Europe and says he arrived in England in 1999 after building a business career in the United States.
| Club | Reported tenure | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 1999–2006 (BBC Sport, 2025) | Ownership ended in 2006 |
| Leicester City | 2007–2010 (BBC Sport, 2025) | Ownership ended in 2010 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2010–2015 (BBC Sport, 2025) | Ownership ended in 2015; June 2025 rescue bid considered, then withdrawn |
| Earlier European club ownership | Not stated in the EFL notice | Clubs not named in the cited reporting |
His last reported football role
BBC Sport described his most recent football role as vice-president of Serbian club Vojvodina. This is the last role reported for him, not a current position. No later appointment appears in the reporting cited here, and the reports do not describe any football or business activity after his death.
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What readers should take away
- He died on 4 October 2025, aged 87, in Belgrade after a short illness.
- His last reported football role was vice-president of Vojvodina.
- His June 2025 interest in rescuing Sheffield Wednesday was withdrawn later that month.
- His Sheffield Wednesday ownership ended in 2015, and his other English ownerships were Portsmouth and Leicester City.
If you are looking for a current status update on Sheffield Wednesday’s ownership, his name is no longer part of that discussion. Coverage from 2025 is the most recent reporting on his involvement with the club.
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