Dzeko 'immediately' wanted Italy return with Fiorentina

Edin Dzeko has revealed he did not hesitate when his agent told him Fiorentina were interested in taking him back to Serie A.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina captain joined the Viola on a free transfer last week, returning to Italy after two years with Fenerbahce.

Dzeko put pen to paper on a one-year deal with Fiorentina, with the option to extend by a further 12 months.

Before joining Fenerbahce in 2023, he spent eight seasons in Serie A with Roma and Inter, memorably winning the Capocannoniere award in 2016-17 with 29 goals.

Now 39 years old, Dzeko's deal ensures that he will play into his 40s, and he wants to use his experience to help Fiorentina improve.

"Ambition is the foundation of everything else," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "First and foremost, I expect a lot from myself, and I also have to put myself at the service of the younger players.

"I'll give my all to help Fiorentina grow. I've never set myself targets for goals or assists because the team comes first, but they are still certainly important.

"We must be ambitious because that's the foundation for achieving important results."

Dzeko joins an attacking unit that already includes Albert Gudmundsson and Moise Kean, with the latter scoring 25 goals in all competitions last season.

"They are both great players. Moise can still improve, but last year he showed more of who he is, just like Albert did in his first year in Serie A," Dzeko said.

"There's no competition between attackers. I always say that great players need to play together. But the first thing to think about is the team.

"I've always thought about the team before myself and I want to help make my team-mates even stronger and help them however I can."

Fiorentina reached the Conference League final in 2022-23 and 2023-24 and last season finished sixth in Serie A, their highest finish in 10 years.

They will be led by Stefano Pioli this campaign, after Raffaele Palladino left by mutual consent.

"When my agent told me about Fiorentina, I wanted to sign immediately. I had no other ideas in mind. I just wanted to return to a big club and to Italy," Dzeko reflected.

"As a child, I remember [Gabriel] Batistuta in the purple jersey and his Champions League matches.

"In recent years, Fiorentina has played in many finals and, even though they lost, they showed the determination to get there.

"Of course, losing three finals isn't a coincidence and perhaps that's why a coach like Pioli was hired, who has already won and will allow us to improve and gain even more experience."

The former Manchester City striker will be keen to build on his previous success in Italy, having scored 107 goals across his first spell in Italy, also winning two Coppa Italia trophies with Inter and finishing as a Champions League runner-up in 2023.