Edin Dzeko explained his decision to extend his contract with Schalke. The striker had known for a long time that he would return to Schalke because he didn't want to say goodbye to football.
"I think it's been like that from the beginning, because we spoke with Milon Muslic shortly after the World Cup ended," Dzeko said in an interview with Sky Sports. He was referring to Schalke coach Milon Muslic.
Two days after ending his World Cup trip with Bosnia and Herzegovina, he was already "very positive".
Although he also needed to rest, Muslich then said, "If everything goes well, you can come with Nicola on August 3rd." And that's exactly what happened.
Dzeko: His daughter was also a major reason for him staying at Schalke.
Dzeko explained that he was on vacation with his Schalke teammate Nikola Katic at the time: "We were on the beach in Dubrovnik together, and Katic sent Milon a picture. I wrote to him: 'Boss, he'll be back.'"
Edin Dzeko played for Bundesliga newcomers Schalke in the second half of last season, when his contract had expired. Recently, he signed a one-year extension with the club.
Family was also a significant factor in his decision: "A few days ago, my 10-year-old daughter said she wanted to live in Germany. Maybe she's worried that I'm no longer playing football. So she said she wants to go back to Schalke. She's very smart."
Dzeko jokes about Bayern Munich
The 40-year-old player is looking forward to returning to the Bundesliga, but there is at least one match he might want to skip.
"Maybe it'll be the game against Bayern. They're too strong under Vincent Kompany," Dzeko said with a laugh. "He's a friend of mine, my former captain. Maybe that game will be tough. Not just for us, but for all the other Bundesliga teams."
But what he is most proud of is "returning here after 15 years".
During his remarkable career, Dzeko played for Wolfsburg and competed in the Bundesliga.
