Klaus Allofs

Klaus Allofs was a forward who understood goals without needing to live like a statue between centre-backs. Mobile, clever and technically neat, he could play as a striker or supporting forward, moving into channels, linking play and finishing chances with a cool, economical touch. His career had range: Köln, Marseille, Bordeaux, Werder Bremen, plus a strong West Germany chapter that included the Euro 1980 triumph. He was not the most spectacular German attacker, nor a pure penalty-box bully, but his movement, timing and finishing made him consistently dangerous across different systems. There was a sharpness to his game, a sense of knowing when to appear and when to disappear from a defender’s sightline. A polished European forward, efficient, intelligent and easier to respect than to romanticise.