Edin Džeko says emotional goodbye to international football in final Bosnia & Herzegovina appearance
Edin Džeko made his final appearance for Bosnia & Herzegovina on Friday, captaining the team to a 1-1 draw against Sweden in the UEFA Nations League as he said an emotional goodbye to international football.
After featuring for Bosnia at this past summer's FIFA World Cup, Džeko had announced he would retire from international football following one final outing, which came against Sweden.
Although he could not inspire his team to victory, he played 63 minutes and wore the captain's armband in front of a sell-out crowd in Zenica. He would have had the perfect farewell if his goal in first-half injury-time not been ruled out by VAR, but it was a memorable evening nonetheless.
"The emotions are mixed. It's been very emotional, not only today, but also the last few days since I made that decision," Džeko explained after full-time.
"I'm leaving happy because I know I gave my all. I'm leaving the team in good shape, with a lot of quality and guys who love Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even though I'm leaving the field, the connection between me and this national team and these guys will remain forever. I'm a part of them and they're a part of me."
During a special evening, the Bosnian footballing community celebrated the Schalke striker in many different ways. In the 11th minute, to celebrate the number 11 Džeko wears for the national team, fireworks were lit up in the stadium. When he was substituted off shortly after the hour mark, the whole stadium, as well as all the players, applauded him off the pitch one final time.
After the game, there was a special ceremony to commemorate his time with the national team, including a guard of honour and some tokens of apprecitation awarded to Džeko himself. A giant Bosnia shirt bearing his name and number was also unveiled in the centre of the capital city, Sarajevo.
Džeko ultimately retires from international duty as his nation's most-capped player of all-time, as well as their highest-ever goalscorer with 73 strikes, while he also played for them at two FIFA World Cups. His teammates in the national team include fellow Schalke man Nikola Katić and VfB Stuttgart forward Ermedin Demirović, both of whom started versus Sweden.
