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Leipzig's Schalke Clash Brings Special Reunion For Demichelis And Schäfer
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- Leipzig's Schalke Clash Brings Special Reunion For Demichelis And Schäfer
(IMAGO / RHR-Foto)
RB Leipzig's Bundesliga trip to Schalke 04 on Saturday will bring together three familiar faces whose careers have been intertwined for almost two decades.
Leipzig head coach Martín Demichelis and sporting director Marcel Schäfer will come up against Schalke striker Edin Džeko, with all three sharing memories of Bundesliga battles, championship celebrations and some of European football's biggest matches.
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Schäfer and Džeko won the Bundesliga together at Wolfsburg in 2009, while Demichelis later celebrated two trophies alongside the Bosnian striker at Manchester City.
Now, with Džeko still leading the line at the age of 40, the former teammates will find themselves on opposite sides at the Veltins-Arena.
Schäfer And Džeko's Historic Wolfsburg Partnership
Before becoming Leipzig's sporting director, Schäfer spent more than a decade at Wolfsburg, where he developed a particularly productive partnership with Džeko.
The pair played together between 2007 and January 2011, with their greatest achievement coming during Wolfsburg's extraordinary 2008/09 Bundesliga title-winning campaign under Felix Magath.
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Schäfer's attacking runs from left-back and his deliveries into the penalty area provided an important supply line for Džeko, whose finishing helped transform Wolfsburg into Germany's most dangerous attacking side.
One memorable example came during Wolfsburg's famous 5-1 demolition of Bayern Munich in April 2009.
Schäfer delivered the cross for Džeko's goal that put Wolfsburg 2-1 ahead, before the striker added another as the hosts produced one of the most iconic results of their championship season.
Džeko finished the campaign with 26 Bundesliga goals, helping Wolfsburg secure the first league title in the club's history.
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Schäfer also remembers an unusual detail from that season: Wolfsburg repeatedly used a yellow football for home matches during the second half of the campaign, believing it had become something of a lucky charm.
Demichelis And Džeko Conquered England Together
Džeko's connection with Leipzig's current leadership does not end with Schäfer.
The Bosnian later became teammates with Demichelis at Manchester City, where the pair played important roles in the club's successful 2013/14 campaign.
City won both the Premier League and League Cup that season, with Džeko providing goals in attack and Demichelis establishing himself in central defence.
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Their partnership was particularly memorable during City's 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in March 2014.
Džeko scored twice, while Demichelis helped keep a clean sheet in a dominant derby performance.
The match left a lasting impression on Die Roten Bullen's current coach, who subsequently described it as his favourite appearance in a Manchester City shirt.
Demichelis also spoke warmly about his former teammate in August 2026, praising Džeko's remarkable longevity.
"Good man! He deserves it."
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The Argentine said when asked about the striker's continuing career.
A Bundesliga Battle That Started 18 Years Ago
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The connections between the three men actually stretch back even further.
On October 25, 2008, Demichelis faced Schäfer and Džeko when Bayern Munich hosted Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.
Demichelis started in Bayern's defence, Schäfer occupied Wolfsburg's left-back position and Džeko led the visitors' attack.
The Bosnian scored to put Wolfsburg 2-0 ahead after just over half an hour, but Bayern recovered to claim a dramatic 4-2 victory.
It was a meeting between future championship-winning teammates, although none of the three could have anticipated that they would reunite almost exactly 18 years later in such different roles.
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Schäfer has since moved into football management, Demichelis has become Leipzig's head coach, and Džeko continues to compete at Bundesliga level.
Old Friendships Take A Back Seat At Schalke
Despite their shared history, Saturday's encounter carries significant importance for the club.
Demichelis' team have won their opening four Bundesliga home matches but are still searching for their first away points of the season.
The Red Bulls will arrive in Gelsenkirchen following consecutive victories over Elversberg and Rot-Weiss Essen, hoping to translate that momentum into an improved Bundesliga away performance.
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Schalke, meanwhile, will look towards Džeko for the goals that have been difficult to find since their promotion. The Royal Blues have scored only four times in seven league matches and remain without a goal in their opening three home fixtures.
Džeko has previously spoken about his pride in seeing former teammates succeed after their playing careers, specifically mentioning Schäfer and Demichelis in a September interview.
Saturday will provide another opportunity for the three to exchange memories, but Leipzig's coach and sporting director will be hoping their old friend has a quiet afternoon in front of goal.
