NEWS
Muslic compares Dzeko to Beckenbauer, Lineker and Cruyff
He was once his idol, now he is his protégé: Schalke coach Miron Muslic talks about his very special relationship with Edin Dzeko.
FC Schalke 04, with coach Miron Muslic, kicks off the new German Bundesliga season on Sunday against FC Augsburg (5:30 PM in the LIVE ticker).
Ahead of the opener, the coach showers praise on his striker Edin Dzeko in an "SID" interview:
"Edin is for us what Gary Lineker, Franz Beckenbauer, Rudi Völler, Johann Cruyff are for England, Germany, and Holland – an absolute legend, a hero on and off the pitch," said Bosnian-born Muslic about Dzeko.
Dzeko was once Muslic's idol
Muslic reveals that Dzeko was once his idol when he sensationally became German champion with VfL Wolfsburg in 2009.
"I am his boss now, and that's how it should be," Muslic says with a laugh: "I am professional enough, I also have emotional control in this regard and can differentiate quite well. Edin is a Schalke 04 player who is treated just like everyone else."
Despite being 40 years old, Dzeko is still in "top condition," according to the coach. "He is one of the first ones every morning and one of the last ones to leave our professional performance center."
Dzeko has an "incredible role model function" and "truly makes others better."
