Edin Džeko is living two very different football realities right now. While the veteran striker is celebrating a triumphant return to the Bundesliga with Schalke 04 this season, his former club VfL Wolfsburg is staring down the barrel of a devastating relegation threat.

With just one match left in the 2025/26 campaign, Wolfsburg finds itself in 16th place—the dreaded relegation playoff spot. The tension couldn't be higher: they're level on points with both 1. FC Heidenheim (17th) and FC St. Pauli (18th), meaning every result on the final day will be magnified.

At a media roundtable on Friday, Bulinews.com asked Džeko about the crisis unfolding at the club where he once etched his name in history. It was Džeko who helped power Wolfsburg to their unforgettable Bundesliga title back in the 2008/09 season, forming a lethal partnership with Grafite that terrorized defenses across Germany.

"It's a very difficult and sad situation," Džeko said, his voice carrying the weight of someone who still cares deeply about the club. "I don't think Wolfsburg deserve to be in that kind of situation, but at the same time it's their own fault."

The Bosnian striker didn't mince words about the harsh realities of modern football. "Sometimes you maybe don't think that something like this can happen when you have a team like they do, but football goes very fast, and then you can get into this situation at some point."

There is, however, a sliver of hope for Wolfsburg fans. The club has shown some fight in recent weeks, clawing their way into the playoff spot by taking five points from their last four matches. It's not pretty, but it's progress.

Now, everything comes down to one game: a trip to Hamburg to face fellow relegation candidates St. Pauli at the Millerntor-Stadion on Saturday at 15:30 CEST. A win would be enough to avoid direct relegation and instead send Wolfsburg into a two-legged playoff against the third-place finisher from the 2. Bundesliga.

"If I go back a few weeks, I think they're in a better situation now because everything depends on them," Džeko pointed out. "They have one more game, and if they win it, they go to the playoffs."

Džeko's confidence in his former teammates hasn't wavered. "I think the team is strong enough, and I think they can make it into the relegation playoffs. If they do, they will have two games and everything in their hands, and they have the quality to do it."

The stage is set for a dramatic final day. While Heidenheim faces Mainz at home, Wolfsburg will need to summon every ounce of their fighting spirit to keep their Bundesliga dream alive. For a club that once tasted the ultimate glory with Džeko leading the line, this is about survival—and perhaps redemption.