Fortuna Düsseldorf, which began the season with ambitions of promotion, now finds itself staring at relegation. This potential descent into the 3. Liga could have dramatic consequences, casting a harsh light on two former decision-makers.
Should Fortuna Düsseldorf indeed face relegation to the 3. Liga, the historic club from the Rhineland is in danger of an unmanageable player exodus that could jeopardize its entire future. According to a report by the Bild newspaper, only seven currently loaned or active professional players have contracts valid for the 3. Liga. All other 28 players under contract could leave the club for free in the event of relegation.
Fortuna Düsseldorf: Only Seven Professionals to Remain in Case of Relegation
Seventeen of these players would have had ongoing contracts with Fortuna, while others expire in the summer or their loan spells are ending. This includes key players like Florent Muslija (on loan from SC Freiburg) and Sotiris Alexandropoulos (from Benfica Lisbon), both of whom are injured or have loans concluding.
Among the players whose contracts extend beyond 2026 and who were not signed by the new sporting director Sven Mislintat, but rather under the previous era of Klaus Allofs and Christian Weber, only two would remain in case of relegation: vice-captain Tim Oberdorf and top talent Sima Suso, who had established himself as a regular starter during the season.
Unlike Mislintat, who insisted that players he signed in the winter (Satoshi Tanaka, Kilian Sauck, Jordi Paulina) commit to the club even in the event of relegation, Allofs and Weber failed to prepare for such a worst-case scenario during the numerous summer signings.
Fortuna Düsseldorf Suffers from Allofs and Weber’s Disastrous Transfer Summer
The expensive acquisitions of Cedric Itten (1.5 million Euros), Anouar El Azzouzi (1.5 million Euros), and Christian Rasmussen (1 million Euros) could turn into financial black holes. Only Itten has justified his high transfer fee with 13 goals so far. Rasmussen, signed from Ajax, often proved to be wasteful in front of goal, injury-prone, and inconsistent, while El Azzouzi, though rarely deployed, was often criticized for tactical indiscipline and an inefficient playing style.
In retrospect, Fortuna’s transfer summer under the leadership of Allofs and Weber was an absolute disaster. Either the planned new signings were constantly unavailable, partly due to predictable injury histories (e.g., Christopher Lenz, Julian Hettwer, Luca Raimund), or they consistently failed to prove their suitability for the second division (Tim Breithaupt, Zan Celar, Jesper Daland).
It is therefore logical that Allofs, after his amicable departure in December, has publicly acknowledged his share of responsibility for the sporting crisis. «I certainly have my part in it from a sporting perspective,» Allofs recently stated on Welt TV. «We had a very bad transfer summer.»
Allofs’s Crazy Bet on Lenz Becomes a Symbol of Fortuna’s Disastrous Season
Allofs, in particular, caused bewilderment among Fortuna fans with his public statements at times during the season. When Düsseldorf had to abandon promotion aspirations early after a weak start, Allofs insisted he had never spoken of promotion goals prior to the season and accused regional media outlets of reporting untruths, despite numerous quotes circulating in July and August that contradicted his claims.
Another questionable incident occurred at the general meeting where a bet between the former executive and a fan was revealed. The bet concerned the playing time of the frequently injured player Lenz. The fan bet Allofs that Lenz would not play at least five matches for 60 minutes or more. Allofs responded at the meeting: «I am sure I will win our bet!»
For context: Lenz had previously won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt but, due to recurring calf injuries, had only played ten (!) games since his move to RB Leipzig and then to TSG Hoffenheim in 2023. Allofs had ignored Lenz’s medical history, convincing himself of his fitness through an extra medical check—with fatal consequences. After just two brief appearances at the start of the season, Lenz was out for almost three months. While his condition improved temporarily, he has only featured in two of the last seven games. With only four games remaining, Allofs is indeed on the verge of losing the bet: Lenz has only played over 60 minutes for Fortuna in three games to date. This is a symbol of the catastrophic personnel planning by Allofs and Weber.
Christian Weber Joins Elversberg After Leaving Fortuna Düsseldorf
While Allofs is now without a club after his dismissal, Weber, to the astonishment of Düsseldorf’s fanbase, has moved up. After Mislintat’s arrival, Weber was also immediately relieved of his duties as Fortuna’s sporting director but may now be in a position to handle the squad planning for a Bundesliga club. Since mid-April, he has been working in the same capacity for SV Elversberg, which, as is well-known, is once again in the promotion race.
Particularly noteworthy: On the 33rd matchday, Weber will visit Düsseldorf with Elversberg. Given Fortuna’s tough remaining schedule and the ongoing injury crisis (six potential starters are currently out), any remaining hope for survival might be extinguished by this point.
This Friday, Fortuna hosts the in-form Dresden team, followed by an away game at Schalke, where the Royal Blues might secure promotion. After the Elversberg match, it could come down to a do-or-die game against relegation rivals Greuther Fürth on the 34th matchday. By then, Fortuna will be playing for its long-term future in professional football, facing a potential player exodus.