Edin Džeko on joining Schalke, Miron Muslić, his goalscoring debut and more
It’s been a memorable few days for Edin Džeko, who became the oldest scorer in Bundesliga 2 history to keep Schalke’s title aspirations alive. Ahead of the Royal Blues’ upcoming Ruhr derby against Bochum, the 39-year-old sat down to discuss his whirlwind first week back in Germany, which included a goalscoring debut, and the importance of the Gelsenkirchen club’s Bosnian contingent…
Bundesliga: Edin, there’s been a lot of hype surrounding your move to Schalke, with more than 6,000 shirts sold. How do you explain the reception?
Edin Džeko: “It’s hard to explain. I came here with both feet on the ground. I don’t look back at what I’ve done in my career. That’s in the past. You can always improve, and you can always be better, even at 39. I’m happy to be here and to play for Schalke. My first match shows how big this club really is.”
Bundesliga: You only joined Schalke on 22 January. How important was the connection to Miron Muslić?
Džeko: “Even though I had made my decision early on, it was very important for me. It mattered to me that the coach is from Bosnia, and that Nikola [Katić] is also here. I spoke to many people because I wanted to hear different opinions but in the end, I always make the decision myself. My family, especially my wife, always said that I should do what I believe is best for me. For me, there was only Schalke in my head.”
Bundesliga: Although a Bundesliga 2 club, Schalke remains one of the country’s best supported clubs with over 200,000 members. What does it feel like to play in a sold-out Veltins-Arena?
Džeko: “I said in my press conference that I don’t look at it as second division football. When I think about Schalke, this club should always be in the Bundesliga. It’s a great club with an amazing stadium and incredible fans. In my head, it was never about going to the second division, it was about going to play for Schalke, and that’s what matters.”
Watch: Džeko is back!
Bundesliga: It took just 20 minutes to open your account which sparked Schalke’s late comeback against Kaiserslautern. How did it feel to score on your debut in front of a sell-out crowd?
Džeko: “Every match is hard to win, whether you’re playing at home or away, because every team is fighting for something. I actually like having that pressure because it pushes you. If you then manage to score the goal that many people expected, that feels great, but in the end we still lost. But that’s also a learning experience for the team, and these are the things we have to think about and improve on.”
Bundesliga: When you scored, did you immediately feel the energy from the fans?
Džeko: “When you’re 2-0 down, time is against you and not everyone believes a comeback is possible. But when you score one goal, everyone wakes up - the fans and players, and then you believe a bit more. You start to believe that you can do it - it’s never easy to come back like that.”
Watch: Džeko's debut goal
Bundesliga: With 12 wins in 19 games, Schalke are two points clear of Darmstadt. A return to the Bundesliga is the most important thing, but can you imagine extending your stay?
Dzeko: “What matters is always the next game, and now that’s the derby against Bochum which is very important for us, especially after last weekend’s draw at home. Looking too far ahead doesn’t help you because you start thinking about things that aren’t important right now. We have to take it game by game.”
Bundesliga: Are you expecting to start against Bochum, and how excited are you for the Ruhr derby?
Džeko: “It’s not important how many minutes I play, what matters is that we play well and bring three points home. I played against Bochum 17 or 18 years ago, and back then it wasn’t really a derby for me. But I’ve already heard a lot about Schalke against Bochum, and you can feel that it means much more.”
Bundesliga: What can the 39-year-old Edin do better than the 24-year-old Edin?
Džeko: “That’s hard to say, but I definitely have more experience now. Maybe I’m a bit slow, but the 39-year-old Edin Džeko can still score goals just like he did at 24.”
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