"I’ve said from day one that Schalke belong in the Bundesliga. I wanted to help bring the club back to where it belongs. I absolutely made the right decision," Edin Džeko said after FC Schalke 04's promotion back to the top flight. He also said, "I really only wanted to keep playing for Schalke," and that he still has the hunger to help them. It has been fifteen years, eight months and 12 days since his last appearance in Germany’s top flight.
Schalke's return and Džeko's role
Schalke are back in the Bundesliga for the first time since 2023 after winning the Bundesliga 2 title last season. Džeko scored six goals and provided three assists between Matchdays 19 and 26, then added the kind of output that made him such a central figure in the promotion push.
He also won 58 aerial duels in only 11 second-tier appearances last term, with a return of 5.27 successful aerial duels per game. That gave Schalke a reliable target when they needed to move the ball up the pitch, and it fits the way Džeko described his own mindset: "I still have passion for football and remain hungry. I’m certain that I can still offer something to Schalke and help the team."
What comes next for Schalke
Džeko was clear that the jump up will ask more of the team. "It won’t be easy as a newly promoted team, especially against big sides where we’ll need a lot of patience," he said, before adding: "But I’m 100 percent certain that we’ll be ready."
The early test of that belief arrives quickly, with FC Augsburg among the opponents Schalke will face as the season starts to take shape. Džeko's return is built on conviction, but his next Bundesliga appearance will be judged on the pitch, not the sentiment around it.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
