Dzeko tells Bosnia supporters to ‘applaud’ Italy and national anthem in play-off final | OneFootball

Bosnia and Herzegovina national team captain Edin Dzeko has urged his nation’s supporters to ‘applaud’ Italy and the national anthem when the two sides meet in Tuesday’s World Cup play-off final: ‘Italy came to play friendly matches after the war in 1996. For this, we are always grateful’.

Dzeko: ‘Italy came to play friendly matches after the Bosnian war, we are always grateful’

The Azzurri will travel to the freezing Zenica to take on Bosnia and Herzegovina for a spot in the final 2026 World Cup tournament. Gennaro Gattuso’s side are the highest-ranked nation in the World that do not yet have a place at the World Cup wrapped up, and will need to beat Bosnia away from home to avoid missing out for a third tournament cycle in a row.

Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in Bergamo thanks to second-half goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean in order to qualify for Tuesday’s play-off final, while Dzeko struck with an equaliser in the 86th minute, which sent Bosnia on their way to a penalty shoot-out victory over Wales in Cardiff on the same night.

There has been plenty of talk from both camps ahead of the crucial play-off decider on Tuesday evening, but Dzeko has called for a show of respect towards Italy and its national team given its previous gestures of goodwill to Bosnia during times of adversity.

“Everyone should stand up and applaud when the Italian anthem begins. Italy came to play friendly matches after the Bosnian war in 1996. For this, we are always grateful,” said Dzeko during his pre-match press conference.

“Then in 90 minutes, it will be a battle. Friends afterwards, like before. Whatever happens, happens.”

Click here to read Dzeko’s pre-match press conference in full.

ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – OCTOBER 11: Edin Dzeko of Bosnia and Herzegovina reacts during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League A Group A3 match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany at on October 11, 2024 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Italy have played against Bosnia and Herzegovina on six previous occasions, winning four, drawing one and losing one.

The loss came in the first ever meeting of the two sides back in 1996, when an Azzurri side led by Arrigo Sacchi travelled to Sarajevo to take part in a friendly shortly after the end of the Bosnian war.

That team featured the likes of Paolo Maldini, Dino Baggio, Roberto Di Matteo, Gianfranzo Zola and Enrico Chiesa, the latter two combining for Italy’s only goal in an eventual 2-1 loss to the newly formed national side of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Every other meeting between Italy and Bosnia has come within the last seven years. They met twice in qualification for EURO 2020, both ending in victories for the Azzurri, twice in the 2020-21 Nations League campaign and once in an international friendly just before the start of EURO 2024.