The unlikely lad! Sold by Man City eight years ago, Edin Dzeko hopes of causing an upset in Istanbul

The unlikely lad! Sold by Man City eight years ago, Edin Dzeko is still going strong at 37-years-old and will be pivotal to Inter’s hopes of causing an almighty upset in Istanbul

  • Edin Dzeko will be hoping to strike back against his former side Manchester City 
  • The Bosnian forward will take on the English side in the Champions League final 
  • Despite being 37-years-old, Dzeko has proved to be a vital player for Inter Milan 

Only one player in Saturday’s Champions League final is guaranteed to be acclaimed by both sets of supporters in Istanbul. At the age of 37, Edin Dzeko is still pivotal to Inter Milan’s chances of causing an upset against Manchester City, a club where he’s held in great affection after helping them win their first two Premier League titles.

Remarkably, when City sold 29-year-old Dzeko to Roma in 2015, they thought he was the right age to leave in order to create opportunities for younger strikers like Kelechi Iheanacho, with manager Manuel Pellegrini confirming: ‘It wasn’t for the money but to give others the chance.’

Yet eight years later, the Bosnian is about to participate in the biggest club game in the world in what could be his final match for the Nerazzurri with his contract up in the summer.

Though Dzeko’s figures are down on the 72 goals in 189 games scored during his City prime, he remains a huge influencer, starting every Champions League knockout tie ahead of Romelu Lukaku and still capable of delivering on the big occasion. 

His volley in the semi-final against AC Milan set Inter on the way to a famous 3-0 aggregate victory and would have reminded City fans of his huge contributions for them — most notably in 2012 when his late equaliser against QPR set up the iconic title-winning Sergio Aguero moment. 

Edin Dzeko will be hoping to strike against his former side in the Champions League final

The Bosnian forward spent five years at the Etihad before making the switch to Italy's top flight

The Bosnian forward spent five years at the Etihad before making the switch to Italy’s top flight

He also scored twice in the famous 6-1 win at Old Trafford and again after 45 seconds in another victory against Manchester United.

City executive Brian Marwood may say: ‘I feel sorry for Edin because his QPR goal tends to be forgotten compared to Sergio’s winner,’ but Blues fans do remember and continued to chant Dzeko’s name long after he’d left the club.

Don’t forget Chelsea flop Romelu Lukaku! 

Romelu Lukaku is the only player to feature twice in the top 10 Premier League transfers of all time — but he’s always played his best football in Italy.

Lukaku’s career at Manchester United lasted just two seasons following a £75million move from Everton in 2017 and Chelsea sent him out on loan back to Inter only 12 months after spending £98m on the striker. It’s a different story in Milan, however, where he won the Serie A title under Antonio Conte and has now helped the club reach the Champions League final.

Though this season has been interrupted by injury, the 30-year-old has run into a bit of form with four goals in five games.

But the Belgian’s scoring record against City stands at a modest six in 17 games, the last of which came more than six years ago.

In turn, he adores them back, posting on social media ‘See you in Istanbul’ when this season’s finalists were confirmed.

‘It’s natural for me to follow City’s results because I feel it is still my club,’ he acknowledges. ‘It makes me proud I’ve not been forgotten.’

Saturday night will be an exception of course with Dzeko hoping to add the Champions League to domestic titles won in Germany and England. He also has two Italian Cups, though he was disappointed to be substituted in this season’s win against Fiorentina.

Having the European final in Istanbul may provide additional motivation given it was the venue where his footballing idol Andriy Shevchenko missed in the penalty shoot-out against Liverpool in 2005. ‘I don’t usually ask my opponents to swap shirts in my career but Shevchenko was different when I played against him — I asked him at half-time,’ smiled Dzeko. ‘It’s stored in my home in Sarajevo.’

Mention of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, is also important. Dzeko’s longevity can be partially explained by a playing style that relies on technical ability rather than pace. But it’s also a mindset. Football took on special significance growing up in Sarajevo during the terrible conflict that led to thousands of deaths.

His city was under siege for four years, with the stadium at his local club Zeljeznicar among the first to be bombed. Yet the club’s academy continued to operate through the darkest times and young Dzeko found solace playing and collecting Panini stickers of his heroes.

Most of Bosnia’s squad that reached the World Cup in 2014 grew up abroad having fled the war but Dzeko’s experiences in Sarajevo earned him a special status.

Dzeko had already won the Bundesliga title and the German Golden Boot with Wolfsburg when he joined City at the start of 2011.

It took him 10 games to score his first Premier League goal but as the striker says with a twinkle in his eye: ‘To have that good second season, you need to play the first.’ 

The 37-year-old has scored four goals during his side's run in the European competition

The 37-year-old has scored four goals during his side’s run in the European competition

Dzeko scored 19 times as City were crowned champions in 2012 and also hit 12 goals as Bosnia qualified for the World Cup.

City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain wisely said about Dzeko’s personality. ‘He is a player that needs to feel important for the team and also to be loved a little bit from the manager.’

Simone Inzaghi has been praised for his man-management at the San Siro, juggling the egos of different strikers Dzeko, Lukaku and World Cup winner Lautaro Martinez.

It’s worked with Inter through to their first final since Jose Mourinho’s team in 2010. Dzeko would be the sentimental pick — not just for Italian fans, but City as well.

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