Allofs’ time ends earlier
©IMAGO
Sven Mislintat is replacing Klaus Allofs prematurely as sports director at struggling second division club Fortuna Düsseldorf. The former Borussia Dortmund squad planner will officially take over the 69-year-old’s position on Monday, the Rhinelanders announced after the defeat in Elversberg (0-1). Mislintat receives a three-year contract.
Allofs, who announced last week that he would not be extending his contract, which expires next summer, will be released with immediate effect. The Düsseldorf native had emphasized until the end that he wanted to stay with Fortuna until the end of the season. From now on, CEO Alexander Jobst will take over his duties in the communications department.
“The last few weeks have clearly shown that we need new impulses in sporting leadership with a view to the squad and the upcoming transfer period. Sven convinced us with his technical depth and his approach to the way forward during the detailed application process through the entire supervisory board. We are confident that he will lead us out of the difficult situation and strengthen us in the long term with his ideas and experience. In doing so, we are following our strategic orientation and can build on the stable foundation that we have built as a club in recent years. My thanks – and that of the entire club – goes to Klaus Allofs for his special commitment in recent years. He is one of Fortuna’s central identification figures and his successes will remain inseparably linked to this club,” said the chairman of the supervisory board Björn Borgerding.
Mislintat added: “Fortuna is a special club with real passion and tradition. I am impressed by the courage to try new things, as is currently the case with the ‘Fortuna for all’ approach. I would like to thank you for the really good discussions with the entire supervisory board and my board colleagues and for the trust they have placed in me. I was enthusiastic about the idea straight after the first call and totally identify with the task. Even though we all know that the club is in a very challenging, not exactly easy situation “I am 100 percent convinced that we can do this together. For me, the task is also something special emotionally. It comes full circle, as I worked as an analyst for Fortuna in the 2000s, covering and filming every game at home and away. So it’s very, very cool to be back here in this new role – and to be able to work for a club that has important meaning for me, both in terms of sport and emotion.”
Out at Fortuna Düsseldorf for trainers too?
It is completely unclear what Mislintat plans to do with coach Markus beginning. “That’s not my area of responsibility. I haven’t heard that from anyone officially,” said the 51-year-old before the game against Elversberg on “Sky” about the change in sporting leadership. Beginning, who only came to Düsseldorf in October as Daniel Thioune’s successor, has not yet been able to bring about a turnaround. In the first nine games under his leadership there was only one win and seven defeats.
In addition to the coaching question, the winter transfer window is also of great importance for the struggling second division team in order to be able to get back on track with possible improvements. Allofs, together with sports director Christian Weber, signed 13 new players in the summer. Nobody was really convincing. So a lot of work awaits Mislintat in his new job.