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Extended Clip - Edin Dzeko: Is Inter Milan Star The Most Underrated Player Of His Generation?
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After his matchwinning goal for Inter against Napoli, Edin Dzeko has now scored 105 goals in Serie A since joining Roma at age of 29 but Carlo Garganese and Nima Tavallaey discuss if the legendary Bosnian international striker gets the recognition he deserves?
This is an extended clip from this week's Thursday episode of The Italian Football Podcast which is only available for patrons on Patreon.com/TIFP
To listen to ALL complete episodes of The Italian Football Podcast, go to Patreon.com/TIFP and become a Patron for only $2.99 USD per month (excluding VAT).
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Transcript
Why do Roman fans disrespect Edin Jeko?
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to
00:00:16
Speaker
especially from Inter fans, but also a lot from Roman fans. And I saw a lot from a lot, I see a lot of disrespect that Jeko gets from Roman fans about how he misses so many, used to miss so many chances for Roma, how, you know, playing with him, you know, was almost like being a man down
Jeko's key role in Inter's success
00:00:31
Speaker
at times. And I just think, you know, I just think it's incredible, really. I mean, Jeko won the game for Inter last night.
00:00:32
Speaker
the Italian football podcast.
00:00:40
Speaker
and a big game. And he's into the top score of this season. He's 36 years old. He's going to be 37 in two months' time, which is just insane. He's into the top score. He's hit double figures again already. And we're not even halfway through the season. We've only played, is it, 16 games in the Serie A season? 16 in the Serie A. We haven't had any Coppertalia games. We're not in the knockouts of the Champions League. Knockouts of the Champions League haven't started yet. He's already in double figures.
00:01:08
Speaker
There's about seven in the Serie A and three in the Champions League. Yeah, and he's shown that he performs in the big games and at clutch moments, you know, unlike Lukaku, who I thought Lukaku did all right yesterday. I mean, he wasn't great, but I thought he did a job and he was useful. He gives into something differently that if he can stay fit, it'll be useful. But Jeko turns up and he scores and, you know, that's something that Lukaku has never really done in his career, to be honest with you. Whereas Jeko, he's always there when it really matters in the big matches.
00:01:37
Speaker
He's in great form, four goals in his last three games. For me, Inter have to give him a new one-year contract, absolutely. And when you have someone like DiMarco, who we mentioned before, with such an incredible delivery, Jeko is perfect for that because he gives Inter an aerial threat that the other attackers don't. Lautaro is actually not bad in the air, Lautaro, he's quite sure. Lukaku should be great in the air, but he's actually not at all.
00:02:05
Speaker
uh and korea just korea um no the scientists are working around the clock to find out his use on a football page because they we've we're yet to find that out yeah that's for sure yeah but i mean to get to the point to get to the point uh number one
Is Edin Jeko a Serie A legend?
00:02:24
Speaker
Adam Jeko has disrespected way too much now, as of now, as he is as a player now at 36, 37 years old. He's still an incredibly useful player. The number of goals he's scored and his performances in big games like this, he also scored those two goals against Atalanta, in the last match before the break, has shown how useful he still is. But the bigger point I wanted to make really is that
00:02:47
Speaker
he should be regarded as a Serie A legend. He came to Serie A at the age of 29 years old. He's now only four goals away from 150 goals since moving to Italy. That's an insane record. At that age, moving past his peak really when he came to Serie A,
00:03:07
Speaker
And I just think he's one of the most underrated and most disrespected players of his generation. He scored 332 club goals in his career, 64 international goals. His longevity is incredible. He's been at the top for 15 years. 15 years ago, he was at Wolfsburg and he, I think it was, yeah, 15 years ago, 15 seasons ago, he had that season where he led Wolfsburg to the title and he scored 36, 35, 36 goals.
00:03:37
Speaker
with Batali, Zaccardo, Roman Simovic and Graffita. Yeah, exactly. And that's 15 years ago. I mean, how many players have been at the top for 15 years? You know, obviously Ronaldo, Messi, I mean, maybe not Ronaldo anymore. But, you know, there's not many, is there, that have been at the top for that long? You know, you can name it, maybe on one hand, players have been
00:03:58
Speaker
top-class players for 15 years in any era, but in this era, maybe only a handful.
Jeko's impact across multiple leagues
00:04:06
Speaker
He's been a big star in three different leagues, the Bundesliga, then in the Premier League, he won both of those leagues, and now in Serie A he hasn't won the league, but he's won trophies and
00:04:20
Speaker
I've said it so many times. Well, he set a goal scoring record for Roma, didn't he? The most in a season in the Serie A. Look, I think the problem with Jeko is not, you know, I think yesterday what we saw, it was a bit ironic because
00:04:36
Speaker
Dimarco, Darmian, Lukaku, they all did what Jeko usually does, and that is missitters. Whilst Jeko was clinical, which is something you'd expect the others to, or Lukaku, when he's at his best, he's much more clinical in front of goal, regardless of who he's playing.
00:04:55
Speaker
But yesterday was roles reversed.
How does Jeko enhance team dynamics?
00:04:57
Speaker
And the thing that Jekyll does, which I think is the most, you know, the most impressive thing about him, is the intelligence. Again, the football IQ that he has and Mikitarion will have.
00:05:10
Speaker
the experience as well. With Jeko, he knows he can't beat defenders for pace and speed, so instead he fools them. He does it time and time again. This is something he developed when he came to the Serie A. He used to do it to some extent in Germany and in the Premier League as well, but ever since that second season at Roma,
00:05:33
Speaker
when he really exploded. This is something he's been doing, and it's really interesting. What he does is he tricks defenders. He makes one movement with his body in one direction, and then immediately, once he sees that, okay, he's taken the bait, the defender, he switches around. He goes the other way.
00:05:51
Speaker
And you look at the goal yesterday, Rahmani, he completely fooled Rahmani yesterday when he did that. He went one way and then stopped, took one step and then went the other. And it all happened so quickly. And this is what's so intelligent and so impressive about him. His ability to
00:06:12
Speaker
to really, you know, that displays his intelligence, you know, his read of the game, you know, when he drops deep and he creates games. I mean, look at the Darmian chants. That's all Jekyll, knowing what's going to happen before it happens.
00:06:27
Speaker
you know, it's not just Linkup. Glukaku is much more of a kind of quote-unquote simpler player that way. Jekko's Linkup creates Geometria, as they say in Italy. He sees movements and spaces that aren't there yet before they happen, and he helps create them. And just by doing that,
00:06:47
Speaker
He makes everyone around him better just as long as they just continue running the way that they are, finish the run. Jekyll creates things that you don't see that otherwise aren't there. And that is such an incredibly impressive weapon to have.