MSV Duisburg is in a major crisis in the 3rd division. After ten games, the Zebras are last – with only one win this season. One ex-player is not surprised about this situation.

After 78 games in the MSV Duisburg jersey and after all 21 goals and 15 assists, the Zebras and Aziz Bouhaddouz parted ways last summer. The 36-year-old striker left the Wedau for home – to FSV Frankfurt on the Main.

The situation at Frankfurt’s Bornheimer Hang is currently as bad as at Duisburg’s Westender Straße. Bouhaddouz is in a relegation battle with his hometown club – similar to MSV in the 3rd league. Ten games, one goal, two assists – that’s the record of the 17-time Moroccan international in the FSV kit.

Forecasting spoke to the family man.

Aziz Bouhaddouz on…

… the current situation at FSV Frankfurt: “Unfortunately, things are not going as we had hoped. The table definitely looks worse for us than we are as a team. In the end, we want to occupy a single-digit place in the table, and we will achieve that.”

… His personal situation: “Personally, of course, I also imagined it differently. Unfortunately, I was set back by a torn muscle fiber during preparation and also had a few other aches and pains and was also sick recently. You can feel the age slowly. Also when standing up, especially in the ankles – unfortunately.”

… A possible career end in the summer of 2024: “It’s not that far yet. I just look from day to day. I don’t want to look that far into the future.”

… the end at MSV Duisburg: “First of all, FSV Frankfurt was in the 2nd Bundesliga for ten years, but you can’t compare the club with MSV. In Duisburg, people always think bigger. It wasn’t just about the goal of staying in the 3rd division. What you sell to the outside world and what your real goals are are always two different pairs of shoes in sports. But that’s how business works. It was clear relatively early on that I wouldn’t get a new contract at MSV. Nevertheless, the last year in Duisburg was simply terrible. I had to swallow a lot. It was the worst year of my career.”

… his disappointment: “You have to put emotions and aggression aside and look back emotionlessly. That’s what I’m doing. And I have to say that it was simply bad in human terms what the sporting management did to me and many of my teammates, such as Moritz Stoppelkamp. They lied to your face in private and made a lot of empty promises. Of course, that doesn’t exactly help the mood in the team. That gnaws at individuals. We are only human and not machines. It’s a shame that it ended like that for me in Duisburg. The fans were always great and I also made some friends there.”

… the current sporting situation at MSV: “I have to admit that I’m not surprised that MSV is at the bottom. It was clear to me that something like this could happen if Duisburg went into the season with this sporting management. Now there’s a new coach. I’m curious to see what will change. When I have time, I like to watch the MSV games. I’m really excited because I know a lot of the guys from the current team. I hope that the club gets its act together. That’s definitely possible. In soccer, everything is always possible and sometimes a team suddenly works when you change the people in charge. That’s what I hope for the guys and the club. Because really, MSV and its fans belong in the 2nd Bundesliga. “