NK Osijek is in mourning after the death of former president Antun Novalić, who passed away at the age of 58 after a battle with cancer. Novalić was a controversial figure in Croatian football, who during his lifetime was the president of NK Osijek and created a powerful conglomerate of companies. The Prva HNL match between Slaven Belupo and Osijek started with a minute of silence, after the news of Novalić's death arrived at the stadium. Novalić was accused of illegally appropriating 57 million kuna from player transfers, but was acquitted of the charges in 2007. In July 2007, Judge Zvonko Vekić acquitted Novalić of all charges, stating that he had become the president of NK Osijek in 1995, when the club was in financial crisis. During the following years, Novalić successfully secured funds for the club's operations through loans and credits from companies in which he or members of his immediate family were the sole founders. Novalić was also the owner of the City Bank, in which he was the majority owner. His death has shocked the Croatian football world, which knew him as a controversial, but also successful person. NK Osijek will certainly hold a minute of silence in his honor at the next match. With Novalić's death, Croatian football loses another important person, who left a lasting mark on the history of NK Osijek.