The 40-year-old striker has signed a new contract with the Royal Blues until the summer of 2027 and is entering his 23rd season as a professional. Džeko will continue to wear the number 10 shirt and is set to return to team training on Tuesday.
A key player in Schalke’s promotion campaign
Džeko only joined the club from Fiorentina last winter. The captain of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team settled in quickly at Schalke. He scored six goals and provided three assists in eleven appearances.
The experienced striker therefore played a major role in helping Schalke return to the Bundesliga. In addition to his goals and assists, Džeko supported the team with his vast experience and took on plenty of responsibility on the pitch. The high-profile winter signing also quickly became a fan favourite.
According to the club, Džeko made it clear during the talks about his future that he remains highly motivated. The striker considers winning promotion with Schalke one of the special moments of his long career and now wants to help the team in the Bundesliga as well.
Performance-related contract creates financial flexibility
The signing of Maximilian Wöber also played a role in the decision to extend Džeko’s contract. The Austrian agreed to a comparatively inexpensive deal that is strongly linked to his performances. This left Schalke with more financial flexibility to also reach an agreement with Džeko for the upcoming season.
Champion in Germany and England
The upcoming campaign will not be Džeko’s first season in the Bundesliga. The Bosnian played for VfL Wolfsburg between 2007 and 2011 and sensationally won the German championship with the club in 2009. Together with Grafite, he formed one of the most dangerous strike partnerships in Bundesliga history. In the following season, Džeko finished as the league’s top scorer with 22 goals.
He then moved to Manchester City, where he won the English championship twice. His equaliser against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 2011/12 season remains particularly memorable. A few minutes later, Sergio Agüero scored the decisive goal that secured Manchester City’s first league title in 44 years.
Major success in Italy
Džeko continued his career with AS Roma from 2015 onwards. In the 2016/17 season, he scored 29 league goals and won the Serie A top scorer award. A year later, he reached the Champions League semi-finals with the Italian club.
He later played for Inter Milan, winning the Coppa Italia and the Italian Super Cup, before joining Fenerbahçe and Fiorentina. Džeko has also made history at international level. He is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s all-time leading goalscorer and has served as the national team’s captain for many years.
