Edin Dzeko Names His Ideal Manager for Strikers as He Snubs Jose Mourinho
- Edin Dzeko has caused a stir after he snubbed Jose Mourinho when naming his ideal coach for strikers
- The Bosnian attacker scored 21 goals in 53 games for Fenerbahce under the Portuguese manager Mourinho
- The veteran forward has moved back to the Italian Serie A, signing for Fiorentina in the summer
Ghana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!
Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko, now with Fiorentina after a summer move, reflected on his career and singled out the coach who made the biggest impact.
The 39-year-old began his senior career with Zeljezničar in Bosnia before moving to the Czech Republic to join Teplice. His breakout came after transferring to VfL Wolfsburg in 2007, where he formed a lethal partnership with Grafite and played a crucial role in the club’s historic Bundesliga title win in 2008–09.
Source: Getty Images
Under coach Felix Magath, Dzeko emerged as one of Europe’s top strikers, scoring 26 goals in that title-winning season.
In 2011, Dzeko signed with Manchester City, where he enjoyed significant success, winning two Premier League titles (2011–12, 2013–14), an FA Cup, and a League Cup.
He worked under several managers at City, including Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini, with Mancini notably praising Džeko’s knack for scoring crucial goals, including his dramatic equaliser in City’s famous title-winning match against QPR in 2012.
Dzeko then moved to AS Roma in 2015, initially on loan before making the deal permanent. It was in Rome that he reached new heights, especially under coach Luciano Spalletti. Under Spalletti, the lethal forward became Serie A's top scorer in the 2016–17 season.
In 2021, he joined Inter Milan, where he won the Coppa Italia and reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2023. In the summer of 2025, Dzeko signed with Fiorentina, continuing his long and storied career in Serie A.
Source: Getty Images
Edin Dzeko's ideal manager for strikers
According to GOAL, Edin Dzeko has hailed Spalletti as the finest coach he’s ever worked with, describing him as the “absolute number one” for forwards.
Across his journey, Dzeko has worked with a range of top managers, including Felix Magath, Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini, Simone Inzaghi, and Jose Mourinho, who recently met Ghanaian female football star Freda Ayisi, but Dzeko picks Luciano Spalletti as the best.
The ex-Man City striker told Tuttomercatoweb:
"Spalletti is one of the best coaches I've ever worked with. During my first four or five months in Rome, I didn’t play much and felt disappointed. But Spalletti is unlike other coaches, he has a unique personality, and you need time to understand him. Once I figured him out, everything changed. He has a real ability to get inside players' minds and bring the best out of them."
''For forwards, he’s the absolute number one. When he’s in charge, the ball always finds the strikers. I remember scoring two goals in a match, and he came to me and said, ‘Are you happy, Edin?’ I told him, ‘Of course.’ And he replied, ‘I think you could have scored four.’ That’s the kind of drive he instills in you."
Mourinho names his Ballon d'Or favourites
YEN.com.gh earlier reported on Jose Mourinho's opinion regarding who should win the 2025 Ballon d'Or.
This year's Ballon d'Or race for football's most coveted individual prize is between Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele.
Source: YEN.com.gh
