Bundesliga player profile - Edin Džeko, Wolfsburg
The 2008/09 Bundesliga title came as a shock to the system in the form of VFL Wolfsburg. Shining through Germany and adorning Die Wölfe’s kit has been star striker Edin Džeko, Bosnian extraordinaire, who helped the German outfit to the title - their first trophy since winning the now disbanded Oberliga Nord in 1992. Linked to Chelsea, Arsenal and AC Milan, Džeko has been catapulted from relatively unknown Balkan to Europe’s new hot property.
Eastern Europe has spurned some of the finest footballers in the modern era so it comes as no surprise that new export Džeko has become the region’s new poster boy as he has undeniably been a key factor to Wolfsburg’s recent success. The 6 ft. 3 target man is one half of a deadly new duo, forging a formidable partnership with fellow striker Grafite after joining Wolfsburg in 2007. The 2008/09 season saw both front men notched 54 goals between them - the most deadly strike partnership in German football history - in 34 games to catapult Wolfsburg to the peak of the Bundesliga. A feat more astonishing is that all 26 goals by Džeko – one approximately every 100 minutes - were from open play.
The Balkan region was strife with conflict during the early 1990’s as the Bosnian war ripped through the expanse of Eastern Europe when the former Yugoslavia broke apart into different nations. Edin Džeko was born in Sarajevo amidst the rampaging war which he described vividly, “I was very afraid every day. We were always having to hide when shots rang out or bombs fell. You could get shot at any time.” After beginning his career in the Bosnian league playing as a midfielder and spending time in the Czech Republic where he was made into a striker at FK Teplice, Džeko was snapped up by Wolfsburg Coach Felix Magath becoming an instant hit. The Volkswagen Arena’s new number 9 netted five goals and making seven assists in his first 11 appearances to help VFL qualify for UEFA Cup the following season. Wolfsburg had found what they had been missing, a goal machine that was fearless, intuitive and prolific - placing himself in the key areas of the opposition box waiting to strike, and Džeko knew just how to utilize his key attributes in the cauldron of the German League.
An ideal target man in the mould of Jan Koller, Džeko’s eye in front of goal blends him into a deadly goal poacher akin to Ruud van Nistelrooy. Considering his giant frame, the Bosnian has surprisingly first-class long range shooting capability and scores a majority of his goals from outside the box - missiles against Stuttgart and Hannover are Wolfsburg specials along with two others against Bavarian giants Bayern Munich. Another classic came against BV Borussia Dortmund when Džeko brought the ball down on his chest, turned the defender and nonchalantly chipped the keeper. Fine aerial ability is the stamp of others including a powerful header against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Champions League.
The 2008/09 season ended with Wolfsburg claiming their first Bundesliga title and Džeko being crowned the Bundesliga’s Player’s German footballer of the year. Success has arrived at international level too with Džeko earning over 20 caps for the national side and scoring on his debut, almost qualifying for the World Cup finals. If Bosnia were to reach the finals in coming years, Džeko’s popularity would surely grow, following in the path of other Eastern European greats like Gheorghe Hagi. While his form stays true for Bosnia and Herzegovina, the likelihood of achieving success with the national side is slim.
Former VFL coach Magath summed up the Bosnian as “Just the kind of striker a club would wish for.” Magath’s surprising departure has not deterred Edin Džeko’s purpose at the Lower Saxony outfit. Despite continued interested from around Europe, primarily Milan who have reportedly offered Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in a swap deal, Džeko has pledged allegiance to Wolfsburg and, along with former Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins, is keen to show that he can still fire them to glory whoever is at the helm. Although Bosnia failed to qualify for the World Cup, in four years Džeko will probably be at his physical and technical peak and hopefully play on the greatest stage of all. On a club level, whether he is snapped up by a Premier League or Serie A giant remains to be seen but whoever coaxes the Bosnian away from Germany is sure to reap rewards.
Full Name - Edin Džeko
Club – VFL Wolfsburg
Age - 23 (March 17, 1986)
Nationality (Caps/goals) - Bosnian (23/14)
Previous Clubs – FK Željeznicar, FK Teplice, FK Ústí nad Labem (loan)
Position - Striker
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