Daily overview in the clubs: BH football players, Saturday 2 May 2026 — Schalke back in the Bundesliga as Edin Džeko returns

Photo: NFSBiH

On Saturday, 2 May 2026, 10 players from the 2026 World Cup qualifying protocol were in action. The headline is that Schalke has sealed a return to the Bundesliga after spending three seasons in the second tier. That is a huge deal for a club with a fan base like Schalke’s. Congratulations to Nikola Katić and Edin Džeko on the achievement, and above all to head coach Miron Muslić, who took over before the start of the campaign. Even though he inherited a side that had finished 14th the year before, he showed real quality and the ability to handle pressure — and the big result followed. Another of our coaches has delivered a big outcome too: Sergej Jakirović has taken Hull into the Premier League play-offs from sixth place. We hope he can go one step further and take the team into the world’s best league. Whatever happens in the play-offs, Jakirović has done a major job: Hull finished 21st last season before he arrived. Among the other stories, we highlight another goal for Ermedin Demirović for Stuttgart in an important game against Hoffenheim, and Bajraktarević starting again in the Dutch league’s big derby.

• Nikola Katić — Schalke – Fortuna Dusseldorf 1:0 (2. Bundesliga, Germany, matchday 32). Schalke beat Fortuna with Karaman’s goal in the 15th minute and thus secured promotion back to the Bundesliga. On Thursday 30 April the club’s official site carried more good news: Nikola Katić completed a solid individual session and is doing everything to return to the pitch as soon as possible after his knee injury. With the World Cup in mind — especially now that Schalke have hit their targets — it is still possible he could be back in the squad for the last two rounds.
• Sead Kolašinac — Atalanta – Genoa 0:0 (Serie A, Italy, matchday 35). He did not come off the bench for Atalanta in a goalless draw with Genoa. Atalanta have played a lot of games lately, so the rest will surely have done him good.
• Amar Dedić — Famalicao – Benfica 2:2 (Liga Portugal, matchday 32). Benfica let slip a 0:2 half-time lead on this away trip; Dedić played the full match. Famalicao made use of the red card shown to Otamendi early in the second half to reach the final 2:2. Because Porto beat Alverca, they have officially been crowned champions of Portugal. Benfica’s job is to hold second place ahead of Sporting, which leads into Champions League qualifying. To secure that they need to beat Braga and Estoril in the last two rounds.
• Nidal Čelik — Nice – Lens 1:1 (Ligue 1, matchday 32). Once again he was left out of the Lens squad as they drew 1:1 away at Nice.
• Nail Omerović — Vukovar 1991 – Osijek 1:0 (HNL, Croatia, matchday 33). Omerović played for Osijek until the 89th minute, when Dedić replaced him. Osijek will see it as a poor result: they lost to bottom side Vukovar to Puljić’s goal in the 56th minute. With this win Vukovar closed to within four points of Osijek, showing they are still fighting for survival and piling extra pressure on Osijek. Three rounds remain.
• Amir Hadžiahmetović — Hull – Norwich 2:1 (Championship, England, matchday 46). Amir’s season is over through injury, but for his Hull side the story is not over even though the regular season has finished. Hull, coached by Jakirović, beat Norwich to overtake Wrexham, who could not beat Middlesbrough, and ended the Championship season in sixth — the place that leads into the Premier League play-offs. Norwich went ahead through Touré in the 26th minute; two minutes later McBurnie levelled from the penalty spot. McBurnie’s second goal in the 67th minute gave Hull a vital 2:1 win. Hull now face a two-legged tie against Millwall; the winner goes into the play-off final against the winner of Middlesbrough v Southampton.
• Denis Huseinbašić — Union Berlin – Köln 2:2 (Bundesliga, Germany, matchday 32). Union Berlin and Köln, both from the lower reaches of the table, shared the points. Huseinbašić, although back in the squad, did not get on the pitch — a fourth straight match without minutes. Köln had led 0:2 but let the win slip in the end.
• Esmir Bajraktarević — Ajax – PSV 2:2 (Eredivisie, matchday 32). Esmir started for PSV in the big derby against Ajax and put in a solid display. He did not score or assist and was replaced by Man in the 72nd minute. PSV led twice and Ajax came back twice, so it finished 2:2. Beyond prestige the game meant little for PSV, who had already wrapped up the title. Ajax still have a path to the Champions League but could also end up with no European football next season given the logjam behind leaders PSV. Two rounds remain.
• Edin Džeko — Schalke – Fortuna Dusseldorf 1:0 (2. Bundesliga, Germany, matchday 32). The captain returned to the team after the injury he picked up in the play-offs. He played 22 minutes in a big win, coming on for Ljubičić.
• Ermedin Demirović — Hoffenheim – Stuttgart 3:3 (Bundesliga, Germany, matchday 32). Demirović scored again after coming off the bench in an outstanding Hoffenheim–Stuttgart match that mattered a lot in the race for the Champions League. Hoffenheim led 3:1 from the 49th minute — Kramarić scored twice and Touré once, while Fuhrich got Stuttgart’s first. Demirović came on in the 55th minute and in the 64th he scored with his left foot from a counter, assisted by Leweling, to make it 3:2. In the fifth minute of stoppage time Stuttgart rescued a 3:3 with a goal from Tomas, another substitute. After this round there is a tight fight for fourth place and the last Champions League spot: Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart and Hoffenheim are all on 58 points, with Bayer fourth on goal difference. Two rounds remain and a big battle awaits between the three teams.