MSV Duisburg

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Short descriptionTemplate:Template other Meidericher Spielverein 02 e. V. Duisburg, commonly known as simply MSV Duisburg (), is a German association football club based in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia. Nicknamed Die Zebras for their traditional striped jerseys, the club was one of the original members of the Bundesliga when it was formed in 1963, although they are now playing in the fourth tier of German football.

History

File:Duisburg Performance Chart.png

Historical chart of MSV Duisburg league performance

File:Bernard Dietz 1985.jpg

Bernard Dietz

Early years

The club was founded in 1902 as Meidericher Spielverein, in Meiderich, which later became part of Duisburg. In 1905, they fused with the club Sportclub Viktoria Meiderich.

In 1910, MSV played in the West German A-Klasse for the first time, and in 1914, won promotion to the 'Zehnerliga' (top level of the West German championship) for the first time, after winning every game in the 13/14 season, scoring 113 goals and conceding only 12.

In 1929, they won the first Niederrhein championship and were runner up in the West German championship, qualifying for the national championship for the first time. They won the Niederrhein championship again in 1931 and 1932, and appeared in the 1931 German championship again after finishing third in the West German championship. The club would not qualify for either the German championship or the West German championship again.

Meiderich became city champions in 1946, and in 1949 were placed in the new West German second division. The club earned promotion to the top-flight Oberliga West in 1951, and though they were relegated in 1955, they would return immediately and participate in the Oberliga West until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963.

Early years of the Bundesliga (1960s)

File:Msv duisburg (2017).svg

Former logo of MSV Duisburg

The club was surprisingly chosen to be a member of the new national league, the Bundesliga, for the inaugural 1963–64 season. Despite not being a big name or coming from a big city, Meiderich were chosen as they were the strongest club from the populous Lower Rhine region; this decision was controversial, and Alemannia Aachen challenged the decision in court.

The club signed young coach Rudi Gutendorf for the first Bundesliga season, replacing the highly regarded Willi Multhaup. He convinced the board to sign World Cup-winner Helmut Rahn, and developed a tactical system later compared to Dutch total football, whereby every player contributed in both attack and defence. Gutendorf's team shocked the Bundesliga by finishing second, six points behind champions 1. FC Köln, and conceding the fewest goals in the league. This remains the club's highest ever league finish.

In 1966, they finished with a club record 70 goals scored in the league, including the Bundesliga's biggest ever away win, 9–0 against Tasmania Berlin. They also reached the DFB-Pokal final, losing to Bayern Munich. This was the last season played under the old name of Meidericher SV, as the club renamed itself MSV Duisburg in 1967, having received financial support from the city of Duisburg.

European campaigns and relegation to the Oberliga (1970s, 1980s)

In 1976, MSV Duisburg reached the DFB-Pokal final for the second time, but lost to Eintracht Frankfurt. They then made their first appearance in the UEFA Cup, losing in the second round to Levski-Spartak Sofia on away goals. This season was also notable for the performances of defender and captain Bernard Dietz, who played every minute of the league season and was voted by Sport Bild as one of the league's best players. Dietz would achieve this three more times, being named the Bundesliga's best outfield player in 1978, and captaining Germany to victory at UEFA Euro 1980 while still at Duisburg.

Duisburg finished 9th in 1976–77, their first top-half finish since 1970–71, and then 6th in the 1977–78 Bundesliga, qualifying for the 1978–79 UEFA Cup. The club eliminated Lech Poznań, Carl Zeiss Jena, RC Strasbourg and Budapest Honvéd to reach the semi-final, where they were beaten by Borussia Mönchengladbach. Despite their success in Europe, Duisburg only narrowly avoided relegation, having been in the relegation zone during the winter break. In the 1981–82 season, the club was relegated from the Bundesliga for the first time, finishing last.

Four years later, Duisburg were relegated again, finishing last in the 2. Bundesliga with only 15 points from 38 games. For their final game, they managed a crowd of just 600 fans. The club spent three years in the third-tier Oberliga Nordrhein, before returning to the 2. Bundesliga in 1989. During their time in the regional leagues, Duisburg also won the German amateur championship by beating Bayern Munich II.

Between the Bundesliga & 2. Bundesliga (1990s, 2000s)

In their second season back in the second-tier, Duisburg finished runner up to Schalke 04, returning to the Bundesliga for the first time in nearly a decade. However, they would immediately be relegated back and would develop a reputation for 'yo-yoing' between the top two leagues. In 1993, with former player Ewald Lienen as coach, they again won promotion from the 2. Bundesliga. Lienen's Duisburg led the Bundesliga as late as February as a newly promoted team, becoming the first team to ever top the table with a negative goal difference; they eventually finished 9th, and were relegated again the following season.

Friedhelm Funkel brought the club back into the Bundesliga in 1996 and achieved three successive top-half finishes, also reaching the 1998 DFB-Pokal final. As in 1966, Duisburg lost to Bayern Munich. Duisburg qualified for the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, but were heavily beaten by K.R.C. Genk, in the club's final European appearance to date. In March 2000, with his team bottom of the table, Friedhelm Funkel was sacked; the club was relegated at the end of the season.

The new 31,500-capacity MSV-Arena, was completed during the 2004–05 season, in which Duisburg once again won promotion after five years in the 2. Bundesliga. In December 2005, promotion-winning coach Norbert Meier was infamously sacked after 'one of the most bizarre incidents in Bundesliga history,' where he headbutted 1. FC Köln player Albert Streit during a game and pretended to have himself been attacked.

Duisburg finished last in the 2005–06 Bundesliga, won promotion back in 2006–07, and then finished last again in 2007–08.

Financial troubles (2010s, 2020s)

File:MSV Duisburg Anniversary 22-23 Logo.svg

MSV Duisburg Anniversary logo used in the 2022–23 season

In 2011, MSV Duisburg surprisingly reached their fourth DFB-Pokal Final. Schalke won the match 5–0, the joint-biggest winning margin in a DFB-Pokal final.

After five years in the 2. Bundesliga, Duisburg were demoted to the 3. Liga in 2013 despite finishing 11th, after having their license application denied by the league for financial reasons. The possibility of the club becoming insolvent was raised by club officials.

Duisburg earned promotion back to the 2. Bundesliga for the 2015–16 season, but lasted only one season, losing to Würzburger Kickers in the relegation playoff; there were again concerns over whether the club would be granted a license. Duisburg won the 3. Liga for the first time in 2016–17 and finished in the top half of the 2. Bundesliga in 2017–18. The following year they were relegated back to the 3. Liga.

The club was reportedly under threat of insolvency again in 2022.

For the first time in the club's history, MSV Duisburg played in the fourth tier of German professional football, Regionalliga West, during the 2024–25 season, winning the league and immediate promotion back to 3. Liga.

Recent seasons

Year	Division	Tier	Position
1963–64	1. Bundesliga	I	2nd
1964–65	1. Bundesliga		7th
1965–66	1. Bundesliga		8th
1966–67	1. Bundesliga		11th
1967–68	1. Bundesliga		7th
1968–69	1. Bundesliga		12th
1969–70	1. Bundesliga		15th
1970–71	1. Bundesliga		7th
1971–72	1. Bundesliga		14th
1972–73	1. Bundesliga		10th
1973–74	1. Bundesliga		15th
1974–75	1. Bundesliga		14th
1975–76	1. Bundesliga		10th
1976–77	1. Bundesliga		9th
1977–78	1. Bundesliga		6th
1978–79	1. Bundesliga		13th
1979–80	1. Bundesliga		14th
1980–81	1. Bundesliga		12th
1981–82	1. Bundesliga		18th ↓
1982–83	2. Bundesliga	II	11th
1983–84	2. Bundesliga		3rd
1984–85	2. Bundesliga		13th
1985–86	2. Bundesliga		20th ↓
1986–87	Oberliga Nordrhein	III	2nd
1987–88	Oberliga Nordrhein		1st
1988–89	Oberliga Nordrhein		1st ↑
1989–90	2. Bundesliga	II	10th
1990–91	2. Bundesliga		2nd ↑
1991–92	1. Bundesliga	I	19th ↓
1992–93	2. Bundesliga	II	2nd ↑
1993–94	1. Bundesliga	I	9th
1994–95	1. Bundesliga		17th ↓
1995–96	2. Bundesliga	II	3rd ↑
1996–97	1. Bundesliga	I	9th
1997–98	1. Bundesliga		8th
1998–99	1. Bundesliga		8th
1999–2000	Bundesliga		18th ↓
2000–01	2. Bundesliga	II	11th
2001–02	2. Bundesliga		11th
2002–03	2. Bundesliga		8th
2003–04	2. Bundesliga		7th
2004–05	2. Bundesliga		2nd ↑
2005–06	Bundesliga	I	18th ↓
2006–07	2. Bundesliga	II	3rd ↑
2007–08	Bundesliga	I	18th ↓
2008–09	2. Bundesliga	II	6th
2009–10	2. Bundesliga		6th
2010–11	2. Bundesliga		8th
2011–12	2. Bundesliga		10th
2012–13	2. Bundesliga		11th ↓
2013–14	3. Liga	III	7th
2014–15	3. Liga		2nd ↑
2015–16	2. Bundesliga	II	16th ↓
2016–17	3. Liga	III	1st ↑
2017–18	2. Bundesliga	II	7th
2018–19	2. Bundesliga		18th ↓
2019–20	3. Liga	III	5th
2020–21	3. Liga		15th
2021–22	3. Liga		15th
2022–23	3. Liga		12th
2023–24	3. Liga		18th ↓
2024–25	Regionalliga West	IV	1st ↑
2025–26	3. Liga	III

Key

↑ Promoted

↓ Relegated

Honours

League

• Bundesliga
  • Runners-up: 1963–64
• 2. Oberliga West (II): 1950–51
• 3. Liga (III): 2016–17
• Oberliga Nordrhein (III): 1987–88, 1988–89

Cup

• DFB-Pokal
  • Finalists: 1965–66, 1974–75, 1997–98, 2010–11

International

• Intertoto Cup: 1974, 1977, 1978

Regional

• Bezirksliga Niederrhein (I): 1928–29, 1930–31, 1931–32
• Lower Rhine Cup (Tiers III–below): 1988–89, 2013–14, 2016–17

Amateur/Youth teams

• German amateur championship (III): 1986–87
• German Under 19 championship: 1971–72, 1976–77, 1977–78

Current squad

As of 8 February 2025

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	Template:Fba/core	Maximilian Braune
2	DF	Template:Fba/core	Moritz Montag
5	DF	Template:Fba/core	Tobias Fleckstein
6	DF	Template:Fba/core	Franko Uzelac
7	MF	Template:Fba/core	Jakob Bookjans
8	MF	Template:Fba/core	Jonas Michelbrink
9	FW	Template:Fba/core	Malek Fakhro
10	MF	Template:Fba/core	Thomas Pledl
13	FW	Template:Fba/core	Gerrit Wegkamp
14	FW	Template:Fba/core	Luis Hartwig
17	DF	Template:Fba/core	Mert Göckan
18	FW	Template:Fba/core	Steffen Meuer
19	MF	Template:Fba/core	Leon Müller
20	FW	Template:Fba/core	Kilian Pagliuca

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
21	FW	Template:Fba/core	Jannik Zahmel
22	FW	Template:Fba/core	Thilo Töpken
23	MF	Template:Fba/core	Jan-Simon Symalla
24	GK	Template:Fba/core	Julius Paris
27	DF	Template:Fba/core	Can Coşkun
28	MF	Template:Fba/core	Florian Egerer
29	DF	Template:Fba/core	Joshua Bitter
30	FW	Template:Fba/core	Dustin Willms
31	MF	Template:Fba/core	Maximilian Dittgen
33	MF	Template:Fba/core	Jesse Tugbenyo
37	MF	Template:Fba/core	Patrick Sussek
42	DF	Template:Fba/core	Alexander Hahn (captain)
—	MF	Template:Fba/core	Conor Noß

Manager history

• Template:Flagicon Hermann Lindemann (1955–1957)
• Template:Flagicon Rudi Gutendorf (1963–1965)
• Template:Flagicon Wilhelm Schmidt (1965)
• Template:Flagicon Hermann Eppenhoff (1965–1967)
• Template:Flagicon Gyula Lóránt (1967–1968)
• Template:Flagicon Robert Gebhardt (1968–1970)
• Template:Flagicon Rudolf Fassnacht (1970–1973)
• Template:Flagicon Willibert Kremer (1973–1976)
• Template:Flagicon Rolf Schafstall (1976)
• Template:Flagicon Otto Knefler (1976–1977)
• Template:Flagicon Carl-Heinz Rühl (1977–1978)
• Template:Flagicon Rolf Schafstall (1978–1979)
• Template:Flagicon Heinz Höher (1979–1980)
• Template:Flagicon Friedhelm Wenzlaff (1980–1981)
• Template:Flagicon Kuno Klötzer (1981–1982)
• Template:Flagicon Siegfried Melzig (1982–1983)
• Template:Flagicon Luis Zacarías (1983–1985)
• Template:Flagicon Günter Preuß (1985)
• Template:Flagicon Helmut Witte (1985–1986)
• Template:Flagicon Friedhelm Vos (1986)
• Template:Flagicon Detlef Pirsig (1986–1989)
• Template:Flagicon Willibert Kremer (1989–1992)
• Template:Flagicon Uwe Reinders (1992–1993)
• Template:Flagicon Ewald Lienen (1993–1994)
• Template:Flagicon Hans Bongartz (1994–1996)
• Template:Flagicon Friedhelm Funkel (1996–2000)
• Template:Flagicon Josef Eichkorn (2000)
• Template:Flagicon Wolfgang Frank (2000)
• Template:Flagicon Josef Eichkorn (2000–2001)
• Template:Flagicon Pierre Littbarski (2001–2002)
• Template:Flagicon Bernard Dietz (2002–2003, caretaker)
• Template:Flagicon Norbert Meier (2003–2005)
• Template:Flagicon Heiko Scholz (2005, caretaker)
• Template:Flagicon Jürgen Kohler (2006)
• Template:Flagicon Heiko Scholz (2006, caretaker)
• Template:Flagicon Rudi Bommer (2006–2008)
• Template:Flagicon Heiko Scholz (2008, caretaker)
• Template:Flagicon Peter Neururer (2008–2009)
• Template:Flagicon Uwe Speidel (2009, caretaker)
• Template:Flagicon Milan Šašić (2009–2011)
• Template:Flagicon Oliver Reck (2011–2012)
• Template:Flagicon Ivica Grlić (2012, caretaker)
• Template:Flagicon Kosta Runjaić (2012–2013)
• Template:Flagicon Karsten Baumann (2013–2014)
• Template:Flagicon Gino Lettieri (2014–2015)
• Template:Flagicon Iliya Gruev (2015–2018)
• Template:Flagicon Torsten Lieberknecht (2018–2020)
• Template:Flagicon Gino Lettieri (2020–2021)
• Template:Flagicon Uwe Schubert (2021, caretaker)
• Template:Flagicon Pavel Dochev (2021)
• Template:Flagicon Uwe Schubert (2021, caretaker)
• Template:Flagicon Hagen Schmidt (2021–2022)
• Template:Flagicon Torsten Ziegner (2022–2023)
• Template:Flagicon Engin Vural (2023)
• Template:Flagicon Boris Schommers (2023–2024)
• Template:Flagicon Uwe Schubert (2024, caretaker)
• Template:Flagicon Dietmar Hirsch (2024–)

Club culture

The club mascot is a Zebra, coming from the club nickname 'die Zebras' – it is named 'Ennatz', after the nickname for club legend Bernard Dietz.

since 2022,Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) the club has 8,638 members.

Tatort, a popular crime series in Germany, features an episode entitled Template:Interlanguage link (Template:Lit) which deals with a murder in the MSV Duisburg hooligan scene. In one scene, Inspector Horst Schimanski is beaten to a pulp and dragged naked into the centre circle of the Wedaustadion.