Background and career
Edin Džeko (Bosnian pronunciation: [ědin dʒêːko]; born 17 March 1986) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club Schalke 04. Nicknamed the "Bosnian Diamond" (Bosnian: Bosanski dijamant) or simply the "Diamond" (Dijamant), he is widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation. Having scored over 450 senior career goals for club and country, Džeko is also the all-time top goalscorer and most-capped player in the history of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. In addition, he is one of the few men's footballers with over 1,050 career appearances (nearly 1,100) (the first Bosnian to achieve the feat, since the time matches have been recorded). Džeko currently ranks as the ninth-highest goalscorer across all UEFA club competitions, with 67 goals. Džeko began his professional career at Željezničar in 2003. He then joined Czech side Teplice in 2005, who briefly loaned him out to Ústí nad Labem. Prior to joining Schalke, Džeko played for Manchester City, Roma, Inter Milan, Fenerbahçe and Fiorentina, but first made a name for himself while with German side VfL Wolfsburg, with whom he won the club's first-ever Bundesliga title in the 2008–09 season; he was the second-highest scorer in the league with 26 goals. In the following season, Džeko was then the Bundesliga top scorer with 22 goals. He also registered ten assists in both campaigns. Džeko then signed for Manchester City, where he notably scored four goals during a 2011–12 Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. On the final day of that season, he scored an equaliser against Queens Park Rangers in the 92nd minute, before Sergio Agüero got the winning goal for City moments later, ensuring the team won a league title for the first time in 44 years. After lifting a second Premier League title in 2014, Džeko joined Roma in 2015, initially on loan, and finished as the top scorer of the 2016–17 Serie A season with 29 goals. On 3 March 2018, he scored his 50th league goal for the club, thus becoming the first player ever to record 50 goals in three of Europe's top five major leagues. A former youth international for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Džeko made his senior international debut in 2007. He was named the team's captain in 2014, and went on to earn 152 caps and score 73 goals before retiring in 2026. He became the nation's all-time top scorer on 7 September 2012 in a win against Liechtenstein, recording a hat-trick to surpass Zvjezdan Misimović and Elvir Bolić. On 11 September 2018, he made his 95th appearance for Bosnia against Austria, surpassing Emir Spahić to become the country's most-capped player. Džeko helped his national team qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, their first major international tournament, scoring ten goals in the qualifying campaign. Twelve years later, Džeko's six goals helped lead Bosnia to a second World Cup qualification for the 2026 edition, secured shortly after his 40th birthday.
Džeko began his career at Željezničar, playing as a midfielder between 2003 and 2005, but with little success playing in that position. He was regarded as too tall, and with poor technical abilities. Džeko's coach at the time though, Jiří Plíšek, saw his potential and when Plíšek returned home, he advised Teplice to buy him. Željezničar accepted a bid of just €25,000 for Džeko, one of Željezničar's directors saying years later, "[we] thought we won the lottery". Džeko had a loan spell with Ústí nad Labem in 2005, during which he scored six goals in 15 games. Later that year, he moved back to Teplice, staying there until 2007. With 13 goals in 30 games, he was the second-top goalscorer of the Czech League in the 2006–07 season. Due to his performances, VfL Wolfsburg manager Felix Magath signed him for €4 million.
After moving to Wolfsburg, Džeko scored five goals and recorded three assists in his first 11 games: he was named by Sportal as the best striker in the first half of the 2007–08 Bundesliga season. During his first season in Germany, Wolfsburg finished in fifth place, qualifying for a UEFA Cup spot for the following season. Džeko finished the 2007–08 season with eight goals and seven assists in 17 games started. After Wolfsburg acquired fellow Bosnian international Zvjezdan Misimović in July 2008, Džeko's performances improved significantly. During the first half of the 2008–09 Bundesliga season Džeko scored five goals and added seven assists, but after the winter break he added 21 goals and three more assists. This upturn was especially visible during their ten-game winning streak from 7 February to 26 April, in which he scored 11 goals and added an assist. In May 2009 Džeko scored a hat-trick against Hoffenheim, and did so again two weeks later against Hannover 96, contributing 26 goals and 10 assists overall in 32 league matches. His goal tally was second only to teammate Grafite, with whom he formed the most successful strike duo in Bundesliga history; Misimović, the team's main assist and key pass provider, himself broke a longstanding Bundesliga record for assists by setting up 20 goals, the three players becoming known as "the magic triangle". Wolfsburg ended the season as Bundesliga champions for the first time in the club's history; they finished two points clear of Bayern Munich, the key match being the meeting between them on the 26th matchday which finished 5–1, Džeko and Grafite scoring two goals each in an impressive performance (the latter added his second and the team's fifth with a memorable dribble and backheel). At that point Wolfsburg, in third at the start of the day, gained the lead in the table for the first time and retained the position for the rest of the season to take the title. In the DFB-Pokal, Džeko scored six goals in two matches, and in the UEFA Cup, four goals and two assists in eight matches. These performances resulted in him being given the Bundesliga Players' Footballer of the Year award. Despite attracting interest from A.C. Milan Džeko decided to stay, renewing his contract until June 2013. He scored his first UEFA Champions League goal on 30 September 2009 against Manchester United in a 2–1 defeat at Old Trafford. He was one of 30 players nominated for the 2009 Ballon d'Or. He was the Bundesliga top scorer in the 2009–10 season with 22 goals. On 28 August 2010, Džeko became the top league scorer in Wolfsburg's history with 59 goals in 96 appearances, surpassing Diego Klimowicz who scored 57 in 149 games. At the winter break stage of the 2010–11 Bundesliga season, Džeko had scored 10 goals in 17 matches.
After heavy speculation, Roberto Mancini, manager of Manchester City, confirmed on 3 January 2011 that a fee of £27 million (€32 million) had been agreed with Wolfsburg for Džeko, which was City's second highest transfer figure, after Robinho's £32.5 million (€42.5 million) move from Real Madrid in 2008. The transfer fee was the sixth highest in the Premier League history at the time. Also, the sum broke the Bundesliga record departure transfer fee, Bosnian record transfer fee, as well as that of any player from former Yugoslavia at the time. The previous ex-Yugoslav record stood for more than a decade – the transfer fee paid by Real Madrid to Fenerbahçe for Elvir Baljić in 1999 (€26 million). In August 2014 he signed a new four-year deal with the club, taking his contract up to 2018.
Following his medical examination in London, he travelled to Manchester on 5 January, and on 7 January, Džeko was confirmed as a Manchester City player, joining the club on a four-and-a-half-year deal. He made his debut for the club in a 4–3 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on 15 January in which he set up Yaya Touré for the third goal of the match. Džeko marked his FA Cup debut on 30 January 2011 with the equalising goal in Manchester City's fourth round match against Notts County which ended in a 1–1 draw. In the replay on 20 February, Džeko again scored, helping Manchester City progress to the next round with a 5–0. Džeko scored twice against Aris Thessaloniki within four and a half minutes at the Etihad Stadium in the second leg of the last 32 of the UEFA Europa League on 24 February 2011. On 25 April 2011, Džeko scored his first Premier League goal with a right footed finish against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. This was the only goal of the game in a 1–0 win for Manchester City His last goal was against Bolton Wanderers on the final day of the season and guaranteed City third place in the Premier League over Arsenal and automatic qualification into the group stage of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League. On 14 May 2011, Džeko was an unused substitute in Manchester City's 1–0 win over Stoke City the 2011 FA Cup final, winning his first trophy with the club.
Džeko started his second season with City by scoring the team's second goal in a 2–3 defeat against Manchester United in the FA Community Shield. In his third Premier League game of this season, Džeko scored four goals against Tottenham. In this game, Džeko broke another record by becoming the first Manchester City player to score four goals in one Premier League match. His tally of six league goals in three games won him the Premier League Player of the Month award for August. Further on, he grabbed some important goals such as a header against Wigan Athletic that sealed a 1–0 win for City and extended their lead over title rivals Manchester United to three points, and a goal that put Manchester City 2–0 up against Porto in the Europa League, as they won 6–1 on aggregate. He also scored a headed goal against Blackburn Rovers, which put Manchester City 3–0 up, and sealed the game, this subsequently maintained City's narrow two-point margin over Manchester United. Bosnia and Herzegovina national manager Safet Sušić urged Džeko to leave City at the end of the season because of lack of first-team football towards the end of the season, with the likes of Juventus and Bayern Munich interested. On the final day of the season, Džeko scored a 92nd-minute equaliser before Sergio Agüero scored in the 94th minute to beat Queens Park Rangers 3–2 and secure the Premier League title, the club's first in 44 years. Following his goal that helped win the championship, his 19th goal and 40th appearance in all competitions, Džeko's agent denied reports that the striker would leave City saying it was all media speculation.
