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

The man is a globetrotter. He has lived in the USA and Turkey and has been back in Germany for a few years. His life has always been pretty turbulent, actually. “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 soccer player. Sercan Güvenisik played for ten professional clubs during his career. But he only played for one of them for four years: MSV Duisburg. It’s no wonder that the 43-year-old, who continues to travel a lot as an independent player agent, still has a very special relationship with the “Zebras” today.

And – time permitting – he still likes to pull on the strip of the traditional MSV team himself. “MSV is close to my heart,” says Güve. “I became a man in Duisburg. I played my first Bundesliga game here and then spent three years as a regular in the second division. You don’t forget that.”

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

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

Your heart beats faster, even if you get the travel bug from time to time. ‘It was always my dream to play soccer in the U.S. and also 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 recalls fondly. “First someone has to imitate that.”

After that, he sent the video to many of his companions, who were happy to “tease me because I wasn’t a training monster during my career.” He had shown everyone. Güvenisik, who was born in Ankara, was the first player of Turkish origin to play in the MLS. After the end of his active career, he initially remained in the USA until he returned to Germany in 2019. “As a player agent, I simply have a larger network here and in Turkey,” he explains.

Even though his life continues to be colorful, MSV Duisburg remains something of a constant. Accordingly, he is depressed by the current tense situation at the Wedau. The club is threatened with relegation to the regional league. But Güvenisik would not be Güvenisik if he did not also look for solutions. He recently recommended Duisburg to his US-born nephew Kaan Inanoglu, who has since been causing a stir in the MSV’s U19 team – and may be able to continue the family tradition in the next generation. “It makes you proud to see him in the MSV colors,” admits “Güve”.

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