Edin Džeko awarded State Sports Prize

Captain of the BiH national football team Edin Džeko is the recipient of this year's state sports prize, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

The Council of Ministers of BiH accepted the proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which nominated Džeko for this award at the initiative of the Association of Sports Journalists. The State Sports Prize in the amount of 15,000.00 KM was awarded to Džeko for his contribution to the successes of the BiH national football team, for which he has made 82 appearances since 2007. Džeko has scored 49 goals for the national team.

Edin Džeko was born on March 17, 1986, in Sarajevo. He started his career at FK Željezničar and from his move to Teplice in the Czech Republic to the present day, his career has only gone upwards. In 2007, he moved from the Czech Republic to Germany and started playing for Wolfsburg until 2011, despite being a target for many world clubs.

He debuted in the senior national team on June 2, 2007, against the Turkish national team, when he also scored his first goal. In March 2009, during the broadcast of a match against Belgium, Bosnian sports commentator Marijan Mijajlović gave Džeko the nickname Bosnian Diamond, and Džeko scored one of the most beautiful goals of his career in that match. That nickname has remained to this day.

After much media speculation, on January 3, 2011, for 32 million euros, Džeko transferred from Wolfsburg to the English club Manchester City. This was the sixth most expensive transfer in the history of the English Premier League, and the most expensive transfer of a player originating from Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the 2013/14 season, Džeko scored his 50th Premier League goal against Crystal Palace in December 2013.

In August 2015, Džeko officially signed a contract with the Italian club Roma, where he still plays today. According to the contract, Džeko was loaned to Roma for 4 million euros, and Roma was obliged to buy out his contract for 11 million euros at the end of the season, after fulfilling the conditions regarding Džeko's number of appearances and goals that season. Džeko fulfilled these conditions as early as October 2015, and his transfer to Roma became complete.

In his debut season in Serie A with Roma, despite several minor injuries during the season, Edin Džeko made 39 appearances, scored a total of 10 goals, and provided 6 assists.

Among his numerous awards are Etihad Player of the Month - January and August 2011, Premier League Player of the Month - August 2011, and recipient of the Sixth of April Award of Sarajevo for 2013.

A Great Humanitarian

In November 2009, Džeko became the first UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador from Bosnia and Herzegovina. As part of this project, he visited several schools and orphanages in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is actively involved in humanitarian work and has responded to numerous aid campaigns.

He is happily married and the father of one daughter.