Klaus Allofs: Fortuna Düsseldorf relies on tradition and innovation!

Klaus Allofs: Fortuna Düsseldorf relies on tradition and innovation!

On November 19, 2025, Klaus Allofs, Director of Sports and Communications at Fortuna Düsseldorf, will hold a public event at Heinrich Heine University. The event is entitled “Fortuna Düsseldorf: Identity and innovation as a recipe for success”. Loud hhu.de Allofs will talk about the strategic direction of the club, which moves between tradition and modernization. The central question will be how the traditional club can grow in a professional competitive environment and be successful in sport.

The Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Prof. Dr. Stefan Süß, will honor Klaus Allofs for his achievements and commitment. Allofs says that this award represents a great honor and an obligation for him to continue on the path he has chosen. He emphasizes the importance of identity and innovation for the long-term success of the club.

Career of Klaus Allofs

Klaus Allofs was born on December 5, 1956 in Düsseldorf. His sporting career includes a remarkable career as a player and official. As a striker, he made 424 Bundesliga appearances and scored 177 goals. During his active time, he was the top scorer in the Bundesliga in 1979 and 1985. His successes at national and international level are numerous: he became European champion in 1980 and runner-up in the world championship in 1986, and he also won the DFB Cup several times.

After his playing career, Allofs worked as managing director and chairman of the board at Werder Bremen and led the club to one championship and two cup victories. The move to Fortuna Düsseldorf in September 2020 marked his return to the roots of the club, where he was already active as a player and coach. Allofs' area of ​​responsibility includes not only sporting matters, but also the communication of the club's internal and external image.

Current success strategy and challenges

Klaus Allofs' return to Fortuna Düsseldorf was accompanied by the hope of leading the club back to the Bundesliga. Allofs himself makes it clear: “We want to get promoted, that’s clear!” Fortuna has announced promotion as its official goal this season, but is currently in 13th place in the 2nd league. The current situation requires concentration in order not to be relegated to the third division. Markusbeginn, the new coach, emphasizes the need to motivate the team and speaks of the tough competition in the league. However, he avoids the word “ascent” so as not to underestimate the current situation.

Since Allofs' return, the club's possible promotion has been discussed every year. He contributed to the club's financial stability through clever transfers. However, his contract expires next summer and an extension is not currently being discussed, which brings additional uncertainty for the club's future. Allofs, who has been involved in horse racing for more than 40 years and has served as vice president of the Düsseldorf Riding and Racing Club since 2020, is now faced with the challenges of football.

The lecture on November 19th is open to the public and free of charge, although prior registration will be required by November 5th. The Heinrich Heine Economics Professorship honors individuals who have achieved success in their economic field and has been awarded since 2011. Previous sponsors include Raphael Laguna de la Vera and Dr. Kurt Bock.