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Edin Džeko (Bosnian pronunciation: [ˈedin ˈd͡ʒeko]; born 17 March 1986) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Roma and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, for which he is captain.
He was named Bosnian Footballer of the Year for three years in a row. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, he is known as Bosanski dijamant (The Bosnian Diamond). Prior to joining Roma, he played for Manchester City, but he made a name for himself while playing for German club Wolfsburg, with whom he won the Bundesliga in the 2008–09 season. He was second-highest goalscorer with 26 goals. In the 2009–10 season, Džeko was the top scorer with 22 goals. He also registered ten assists in both seasons.
During the 2011–12 Premier League season, Džeko scored four goals in one game for Manchester City, completing a "perfect hat-trick" 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 won it for City with seconds to go, ensuring the team won a league title for the first time in 44 years. He later stated that the goal was one of the most important of his career.
Džeko has played over 80 times for his country and scored 52 goals since 2007, becoming the highest Bosnia and Herzegovinia goalscorer of all time on 7 September 2012 in a game against Liechtenstein where he scored a hat-trick to surpass Zvjezdan Misimović and Elvir Bolić. His ten goals in the qualifying campaign helped his national team qualify for its first international tournament, the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Club career
Early career
Džeko began his career at Željezničar, playing as a midfielder between 2003 and 2005, but with little success playing in that position. He was widely 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". He 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.
Wolfsburg
After moving to Wolfsburg, Džeko scored five goals and recorded three assists in 11 games. He was also 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 2008–09 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 in the 2008–09 season. During the first half of this season Edin scored five goals and added seven assists, but after the winter break entire team improved significantly, with Džeko scoring 21 goals and adding three more assists. This was especially visible during the 10 games winning streak from 7 February to 26 April 2009, in which he scored 11 goals and added 1 assist. In May 2009 Džeko scored hat-trick against TSG Hoffenheim, and again, just two weeks later, against Hannover 96, contributing overall 26 goals and 10 assists in 32 league matches to the team title winning 2008–09 campaign. His goal tally was second only to teammate Grafite, with whom he formed the most successful strike duo in Bundesliga history, and with the team's main assists and key pass provider, Zvjezdan Misimović, who himself broke longstanding Bundesliga record in assists by providing 20, they formed "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 their title rivals for that season, Bayern Munich, whom they defeated 5–1 a month earlier, in memorable game with Džeko and Grafite scoring two goals each with later scoring his second and team's fifth with memorable backheel, and in which Wolfsburg, in third place at that point, exceeded Bavarians in second to take decisive lead for the first time and went through to keep the league top spot for the rest of the season eventually winning it.
In the DFB-Pokal, he scored six goals in two matches, and in the UEFA Cup, four goals and two assists in eight matches as the club reached the final of the tournament. These performances resulted in him being given the Bundesliga Players' Footballer of the Year award. Despite attracting interest from AC 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 top scorer of the Bundesliga in the 2009–10 season with 22 goals scored.
On 28 August 2010, Džeko became the top league scorer in the club's history with 59 goals in 96 appearances, surpassing Diego Klimowicz who scored 57 goals in 149 games. At the winter break stage of the 2010–11 Bundesliga season, Džeko had scored 10 goals in 17 matches.
Manchester City
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 ex-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.
2010–11 season
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 City of Manchester 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.
2011–12 season
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 Hotspur. 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.
2012–13 season
Džeko began the new 2012–13 season with an equalising goal against Southampton in a 3–2 win. He scored another goal against Queens Park Rangers taking his tally to two goals in the opening three games. He then scored the first goal of City's Champions League campaign against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. On 29 September, he scored an 87th-minute winner away at Fulham, one minute after appearing as a substitute. On 20 October, he came off the bench in the 79th minute to score a minute later. He scored a second goal two minutes into stoppage time to seal a comeback win for 10-man City against West Bromwich Albion. On 11 November, Džeko scored another late winning goal as a substitute with a left footed volley in the 88th minute against Tottenham Hotspur. On 29 December 2012, he scored two goals against Norwich City in a 4–3 victory.
He finished the season with 14 goals in the Premier League and 15 overall.
2013–14 season
On the opening day of the 2013–14 Premier League season, Džeko was selected to start by new manager Manuel Pellegrini against Newcastle United at the City of Manchester Stadium. He scored his first goal in a 3–2 defeat at Cardiff City. Džeko scored his 50th goal in England with an only goal of the game against Crystal Palace on 28 December 2013.
On 25 March 2014, Džeko scored twice in a 3–0 Manchester Derby win against Manchester United. His first goal came after just 43 seconds, making it the fastest away goal scored at Old Trafford in Premier League history. On 27 April, he scored City's first goal of a 2–0 defeat of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, closing the gap on league leaders Liverpool to three points with a game in hand.
He scored a brace in City's match at Everton on 3 May, helping City to a 3–2 win and lift the club to the top of the table with two matches left. His second goal of the game was Man City 150th goal in all competitions. In City's penultimate game of the season against Aston Villa, Džeko scored two second-half goals as City won 4–0, ensuring that the club would be crowned champions with a draw against West Ham United at home on the final day, which City eventually won.
2014–15 season
On 17 August 2014, Džeko assisted David Silva for Manchester City's first goal of the 2014–15 season in a 2–0 defeat of Newcastle United. On 20 August, Džeko signed a new four-year contract with the club, tying him to Manchester City until 2018.
On 24 September, Džeko scored his first two goals of the season as Manchester City beat Sheffield Wednesday 7–0 in the third round of the Football League Cup. On 27 September, he again scored twice in Manchester City's 4–2 win away to Hull City to record his first goals of the Premier League season.
On 21 February 2015, Džeko ended a run of 15 matches without a goal by scoring Manchester City's third goal in a 5–0 home victory against Newcastle United.
Roma
After months of speculation during the 2015 summer transfer market, Džeko officially signed for Serie A outfit Roma on 12 August 2015, on a €4 million loan with an €11 million option to buy that becomes mandatory after certain performance related goals are met. These clauses were activated on 1 October 2015, making Džeko a permanent member of Roma.
He made his Serie A debut ten days after his move from Manchester City, playing the entirety of a 1–1 draw at Hellas Verona, and in his second appearance on 30 August, he scored the winning goal in the 79th minute to defeat reigning champions Juventus 2–1 at the Stadio Olimpico. On 21 February 2016, he scored his first brace for Roma, scoring the first and last goals in a 5–0 win over Palermo.
After a disappointing first season with the club, in which Džeko scored only 8 Serie A and 10 goals in all competitions for Roma, he started the 2016–17 season with 12 goals in 15 games, 17 goals in 20 overall, thus equaling the start of the season that Gabriel Batistuta had, in which he won the league title with Roma. On 24 November 2016, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 win over Victoria Plzeň. On 16 February 2017, he also scored a hat-trick in the first leg of a Europa League match against Villarreal, which Roma won 4–0. On 12 March 2017, he became the fourth Roma player to reach 30 goals in all competitions in a season.
On 1 April 2017, Džeko became the first Roma player ever to reach 33 goals in a season in all competitions, surpassing the previous record of 32 goals jointly held by Rodolfo Volk and Francesco Totti. He ended the season with a tally of 39 goals in all competitions.
International career
Džeko's first appearance for his home country came with the Bosnia and Herzegovina national under-19 football team. He was also part of the under-21 team and played in the play-offs hosted in the Netherlands in 2007. Bosnia's first challenges in this competition were Armenia under-21 and Norway under-21. They beat Armenia 3–2 and tied with Norway 1–1, qualifying for the playoff against the Czech Republic under-21. In the first leg, Bosnia lost 2–1; in the second, the game ended in a 1–1 draw. Džeko scored one goal in the tournament.
He made his senior debut against Turkey on 2 June 2007. It was a memorable debut for the player, scoring a volleyed goal during the first half stoppage time. The goal levelled the score at 2–2 and Bosnia went on to win 3–2.
On 28 March 2009, Bosnian sports commentator, Marjan Mijajlović, named Džeko "the Bosnian Diamond" during a game versus Belgium in Genk in which he scored a remarkable goal.
He scored nine goals in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying and finished as the second highest goalscorer in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, tied with England's Wayne Rooney, behind Greek striker Theofanis Gekas' 10 goals.
On 8 September 2012, in an 8–1 win over Liechtenstein, Džeko scored his first hat-trick for the national team and at the same time became the leading goal scorer in the history of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team with 24 goals. The record was previously held by Elvir Bolić who scored 22 goals.
Džeko ended the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign as second-top scorer in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification with ten goals as Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified for the first major tournament in its history.
In June 2014, Džeko was named in the Bosnian squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On 25 June with the team already eliminated, in the final group match against Iran, Džeko scored the opening goal to help Bosnia and Herzegovina to their first ever FIFA World Cup win. In August, following the retirement of Emir Spahić from the international team, manager Safet Sušić named Džeko the new captain.
On 28 March 2015, Džeko netted his second international hat-trick, scoring all of the goals in a 3–0 away win over Andorra in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, their first win in five games of the qualification campaign.
On 13 November 2016, Džeko had an altercation in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Greece with Greek player Kyriakos Papadopoulos, in which he pulled down Sokratis Papastathopoulos' shorts while trying to obtain the ball. The subsequent fight between the two teams saw both Džeko and Papadopoulos sent off.
On 28 March 2017, Džeko became the first Bosnian player to score 50 international goals.
Personal life
Džeko was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, at that time part of SFR Yugoslavia, to Bosniak parents Midhat and Belma. He stated that his family was always supportive throughout his career, especially his father, who took him to training sessions while he was at Željezničar. His father also played professionally in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Džeko is considered a superstar in Sarajevo. Džeko is multilingual, speaking four languages fluently: Bosnian, Czech, German and English. He is a Muslim. Džeko stated that Milan has always been his favourite club and Andriy Shevchenko his favourite player. In his home in Sarajevo, he still has a Milan jersey with the number 7 (worn by Shevchenko while at the club) on the wall in his room. Džeko is a first cousin of former fellow national team player and former captain Emir Spahić. In November 2009, Džeko became Bosnia's first UNICEF ambassador. He has since visited schools and children in his home country affected by the Bosnian War.
On 6 July 2012, Džeko was accepted to the University of Sarajevo to study sport and physical education. On 31 March 2014 Džeko married his girlfriend Amra Silajdžić. In February 2016, he became a father of a girl named Una. His second child, a boy named Dani, was born in September 2017.
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 12 September 2017.
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Željezničar | 2003–04 | Premijer Liga | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 17 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 | Premijer Liga | 20 | 1 | 5 | 1 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 25 | 2 | |||
| Total | 35 | 3 | 6 | 1 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 42 | 4 | ||||
| Teplice | 2005–06 | Czech First League | 13 | 3 | – | – | – | – | 13 | 3 | ||||
| 2006–07 | Czech First League | 30 | 13 | 3 | 1 | – | 2 | 0 | – | 35 | 14 | |||
| Total | 43 | 16 | 3 | 1 | – | 2 | 0 | – | 48 | 17 | ||||
| Ústí nad Labem (loan) | 2005–06 | Czech 2. Liga | 15 | 6 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | 19 | 8 | |||
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2007–08 | Bundesliga | 28 | 8 | 5 | 1 | – | – | – | 33 | 9 | |||
| 2008–09 | Bundesliga | 32 | 26 | 2 | 6 | – | 8 | 4 | – | 42 | 36 | |||
| 2009–10 | Bundesliga | 34 | 22 | 2 | 2 | – | 12 | 5 | – | 48 | 29 | |||
| 2010–11 | Bundesliga | 17 | 10 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | 19 | 11 | ||||
| Total | 111 | 66 | 11 | 10 | – | 20 | 9 | – | 142 | 85 | ||||
| Manchester City | 2010–11 | Premier League | 15 | 2 | 2 | 2 | – | 4 | 2 | – | 21 | 6 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 30 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 19 | |
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 32 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 15 | |
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 31 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 2 | – | 48 | 26 | ||
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 6 | |
| Total | 130 | 50 | 13 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 31 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 189 | 72 | ||
| Roma | 2015–16 | Serie A | 31 | 8 | 1 | 0 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 39 | 10 | ||
| 2016–17 | Serie A | 37 | 29 | 4 | 2 | – | 10 | 8 | – | 51 | 39 | |||
| 2017–18 | Serie A | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 3 | 1 | |||
| Total | 70 | 38 | 5 | 2 | – | 18 | 10 | – | 93 | 50 | ||||
| Career total | 404 | 179 | 42 | 20 | 12 | 11 | 72 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 533 | 236 | ||
International
- As of match played 3 September 2017.
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | |||
| 2007 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 6 | 5 | |
| 2009 | 10 | 8 | |
| 2010 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2011 | 10 | 3 | |
| 2012 | 9 | 6 | |
| 2013 | 9 | 7 | |
| 2014 | 10 | 5 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 7 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 4 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 3 | |
| Total | 87 | 52 | |
Honours
Club
- Wolfsburg
- Bundesliga: 2008–09
- Manchester City
- Premier League: 2011–12, 2013–14
- FA Cup: 2010–11
- Football League Cup: 2013–14
- FA Community Shield: 2012
Individual
Awards
- Bosnian Footballer of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2011–12.
- Castrol Performance Index EDGE Performance of the Month: August 2011
- Bundesliga Players' Player of the Year: 2008–09
- Premier League Player of the Month: August 2011
- 2014 FIFA World Cup Man of the Match: vs. Iran
Performances
- Serie A Top Goalscorer: 2016–17 (29 goals)
- Bundesliga Top Goalscorer: 2009–10 (22 goals)
- DFB-Pokal Top Goalscorer: 2008–09 (6 goals)
- Football League Cup Top Goalscorer: 2013–14 (6 goals)
- UEFA Europa League Top Scorer: 2016–17 (8 goals)
Records
- All-time top scorer of the Bosnian national team
- All-time Bundesliga top scorer of VfL Wolfsburg
