The 17th edition of the NRW Traditionsmasters will take place at the beginning of January. MSV Duisburg – and Sercan Güvenisik – will also be taking part.

The man is a globetrotter. He has lived in the USA and Turkey. And he has been back in Germany for a few years now. His life is actually always turbulent. “Yes, I’ve been around quite a bit,” laughs Sercan Güvenisik. “It’s rarely boring for me.”

This is also reflected in his career as a footballer. Sercan Güvenisik has played for ten professional clubs in his career. But he only played for one for four years: MSV Duisburg. No wonder that the 43-year-old, who still travels a lot as a self-employed player consultant, still has a very special relationship with the “Zebras”.

And – time permitting – likes to put on the MSV traditional team’s striped jersey himself. “MSV is a matter close to my heart,” says “Güve”. “I became a man in Duisburg. I played my first Bundesliga game here and was then a regular in the 2nd division for three years. You don’t forget that.”

He is a child of the old Wedau Stadium. “When you see today’s arena, and I visit there from time to time, you can get a little jealous of the conditions under which the boys are allowed to play today,” says Güvenisik, who also played for Rot-Weiss Essen and Preußen Münster during his career in the west. “But of course MSV celebrated its greatest successes in the old stadium. When I arrived, we even played in the UI Cup there. “

He is really looking forward to seeing many of his old companions again at the NRWTraditionsmasters on January 7, 2024. “It’s always a special moment when the tournament opens in Mülheim. I’m once again looking forward to many heated duels and the special atmosphere in the Westenergie sports hall, which can only be found in the Ruhr region,” says Güvenisik.

It makes your heart beat faster, even if you get the wanderlust from time to time. “It was always my dream to play soccer in the USA and to live there,” he reveals. He was able to fulfill this dream at the end of his career. In 2012, he played for the San José Earthquakes against opponents such as David Beckham and Thierry Henry – and even scored the goal of the year in the MLS. “From 60 meters,” he remembers fondly. “Someone has to do that for me first.”

Afterwards, he sent the video to many of his companions, who “liked to tease him because I wasn’t a training monster during my career.” He had shown them all. Born in Ankara, Güvenisik was the first player of Turkish descent ever to play in the MLS. After the end of his active career, he initially stayed in the USA until he returned to Germany in 2019. “As a player consultant, I simply have a larger network here and in Turkey,” he explains.

Even if his life continues to be colorful, MSV Duisburg remains something of a constant. He is correspondingly depressed about the current tense sporting situation at Wedau. There is a threat of relegation to the regional league. But Güvenisik wouldn’t be Güvenisik if he wasn’t also looking for solutions. He recently recommended his US-born nephew Kaan Inanoglu to Duisburg, who has been causing a stir in the MSV U19s ever since – and may be able to continue the family tradition in the next generation. “It makes you proud to see him in MSV colors,” admits “Güve”.

At the NRW Traditionsmasters, Inanoglu can then see what his uncle is still capable of at the age of 43.