World
Key details
World
At 40 years old, Edin Dzeko is preparing to captain Bosnia in his second World Cup, a longevity that not even he himself expected. «If you asked me 10 years ago, I would have said no», admits the striker, who joins a restricted group of forty-somethings in the tournament, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, in an interview with The Guardian.
The secret, according to Dzeko, is in the extra work and paying attention to your body. “I’m listening to my body and doing a lot of work before and after training to help it, because I’m not the youngest anymore,” he explains. The striker details his routine: ‘Maybe when you’re young, you don’t think much about arriving early to training and spending 30 to 45 minutes in the gym doing prevention work, and then staying another 30 to 45 minutes, or an hour, after training. When you get older, you realize that the body needs this to compete at the highest level», he guaranteed.
This dedication has allowed him to stay in shape for decisive moments, such as the World Cup qualifying play-offs in March. After a six-month spell with little use at Fiorentina, Dzeko signed for Schalke 04 in January, a return to Germany where he made his name at Wolfsburg. The move proved crucial, allowing him to reach the play-offs at a competitive pace.
At Schalke under Miron Muslic he scored six goals, including one on his debut, helping the club return to the Bundesliga. Dzeko also scored the header that earned the draw against Wales, in Cardiff, and kept Bosnian hopes alive. The moment of glory came days later, with a penalty shootout victory over Italy in Zenica, which sparked celebrations in Sarajevo.
Read more in Bundesliga news. and related tags: World Key, World Aos.