Former Wolfsburg star Edin Dzeko sounds battle cry ahead of Cologne visit
Part of the club’s only ever Bundesliga-winning side in 2008/09, Edin Dzeko is a Wolfsburg legend. The Bosnian striker this week, though, has been calling on the fans who used to sing his name to sing those of the players who’ll decide the club’s fate on Saturday.
Should Wolfsburg lose to Cologne at the Volkswagen Arena and Hamburg beat Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday, the Wolves will be relegated just seven years after winning the Bundesliga crown. Their fate is in their own hands, however, with a win at the weekend securing the play-off at the very least for Bruno Labbadia's side.
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"The fans have to support the players," Dzeko, currently playing in Italy with Roma, told German sports magazine kicker. "They have to be at their side from the first to the last minute, even if they haven't had a good season. This is the last game, it's about everything."
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The 32-year-old striker scored 66 goals in 111 Bundesliga games for the Wolves during the club's most successful period. But the Bosnian knows better than most that players can have dips in form, and a lot of it comes from confidence, which he says can be provided by support from the fans when it is needed most.
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"I know myself how hard it is if you lose confidence as a player," Dzeko, a UEFA Champions League semi-finalist this season, said. "You want to try something, but your head and legs aren't playing ball, so the guys need the support from the fans.
"On Saturday, they must give more than 100 per cent, they must all stand together and not think about what has happened, but look forward together!"