Džemaili career profile
With 360 senior appearances and 52 Switzerland caps under his belt, Džemaili boasts considerable international experience. He has played in four countries and performed with distinction over seven Serie A campaigns as well as representing his country at Euro 2016 (the Swiss went out to Poland on penalties in the last 16) and the 2014 World Cup.
A right-footed, ball-winning midfielder, Džemaili has a tough and tidy style of play and loves getting forward to try his luck from range. This willingness to attack has earned him 41 career goals which is an impressive haul for a box-to-box midfielder. A natural playmaker, he grew up in Zurich and exploded onto the scene for his hometown club (FC Zurich, not Grasshopper Zurich) as a youngster, winning two Swiss championships before leaving for the bright lights of England. At the age of 21, he moved to Bolton but his career stalled because of a serious injury. After putting his English disappointment behind him, Džemaili moved to Torino in the summer of 2008 to form part of a highly effective midfield alongside Corini and Barone. His performances in the middle of the park for Il Toro were matched by his showings for his country and he continues to impress for the Swiss 10 years after his debut in 2006.
He further established himself as a solid, technically sound central midfielder at Parma where he showed that he could also act as playmaker if need be. A jump in quality came when he moved to Mazzari’s Napoli where he became a vital component in a midfield three alongside Hamsik and Inler, his good friend from FC Zurich and the Swiss national team. After winning two Coppa Italias in Naples, Džemaili followed in the footsteps of Wesley Sneijder and moved to the ambitious Galatasaray where he won the Turkish title, the Turkish Cup and the Turkish Super Cup in his first season.
There was also much to admire about the midfielder in Genoa’s impressive 2015-16 campaign when he was on loan from the Istanbul club. Džemaili brought balance and solidity to Il Grifone’s previously youthful and timid midfield, thereby contributing to an excellent second half of the season and allowing Gasperini to always play with three strikers. He moved to Bologna on a permanent deal in August 2016 and becomes the third Swiss player in Rossoblu history.
