Klopas responds to Heitz, Shaqiri departures

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — There have been few weeks in recent memory that have been as eventful for the Chicago Fire as this one. And that comes without a single minute of soccer being played.

Monday morning started with the bombshell news that sporting director Georg Heitz had chosen to step down at the end of the season; then, on Wednesday, the Fire parted ways with midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri and brought in wingback Ari Lassiter within a span of six hours.

We spoke with head coach Frank Klopas in Bridgeview yesterday in the midst of the deadline day news flurry as he gears up for the final nine-match push of the season.

Heitz resigns, search for successor begins

The most surprising move of the week came when Heitz – who is in his fifth season with the Fire – announced that he would leave Chicago at the end of 2024 and return to his native Switzerland. Though he's staying within Joe Mansueto's network and will continue to be a part of FC Lugano's board of directors, he is vacating the sporting director position, and the Fire are now searching for his replacement.

"I've been working together with Georg over four and a half years," Klopas told MIR97 Media in an exclusive interview. "I've seen more than the people from the outside, the work that he's put in to really build the infrastructure that was needed here. A lot of people don't know that and, and I understand that, and at the end of the day they look at results and we can't hide that."

The Fire have missed the playoffs in all four of Heitz's full seasons since he arrived in the final weeks of 2019. They have also spent heavily in that time, wheeling and dealing for several multimillion-dollar signings, including Xherdan Shaqiri, Jairo Torres, Fede Navarro, and Gastón Giménez. Most of those swings failed to live up to the billing, and the vast majority of DP signings were disappointments.

"Georg, for me, is a great human being. I will miss seeing him here every day. But I feel he's laid a great foundation for us not to be able to take the next step."

With the hunt for Heitz's successor underway, changes could also be coming to the position, though that depends entirely on who the new sporting director is. Certain higher profile coaches in MLS, such as Bruce Arena, Bob Bradley, and Peter Vermes, have merged the sporting director and head coaching positions, and have taken control over transfers and roster-building; such an arrangement could be possible next season.

"I think that's important that you have a head coach who can do both," Klopas said. "I think that in some situations, you've seen how that's worked, but they're not the only ones; you have a technical director, you have supporting staff around, or you have a scouting group."

Highly-regarded technical director Sebastian Pelzer – whose role involves coordinating the scouting department – is set to stay with the club for now, and he could be a part of that setup. Keeping Pelzer involved would be a boost for the club going forward, as he's been behind several of the Fire's bright spots of the last few years, most notably the signing and subsequent sale of Jhon Durán. His role in the future will likely be determined once the new sporting director comes in.

Klopas' future as head coach

The arrival of a new sporting director this offseason will likely also herald the arrival of a new head coach. That means that Frank Klopas' third non-consecutive stint as Fire boss will probably come to an end at the end of the year.

Even when serving as interim coach last season, Klopas reiterated time and time again that he had taken on the role because of his love for the club and because those higher up wanted him to. Though he does have thoughts on what his future may be with the club, an unlikely playoff push is still at the forefront.

"My main focus is the next nine games right now," Klopas said. "I said that we play nine finals. When I step back in here (as head coach), it's because I felt I could help the team. I'm not looking to continue my career as a coach. If I leave Chicago, I'm not gonna go coach somewhere else. I stepped in here because the team asked me, I felt this way I could help the team in the near future."

"Now, what that future brings next year? That, I don't know, but I love the club, I'm gonna do what's best for the club. I have a lot of experience, and I can help the club. I believe that 100%, whatever role I go into or if I stay in this one."

Shaqiri departs via mutual termination

By far the biggest bombazo of the lot was that Designated Player midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri would be leaving the club following a mutual contract termination on Wednesday morning. Though specific terms of his contract were not disclosed, the numbers published by the MLS Players Association salary guide this summer would indicate that Shaqiri left several millions of dollars on the table to become a free agent.

His contract was already set to expire this winter, but the Fire were hoping to find a buyer before then; when none arrived, both parties agreed to a mutual termination just 13 hours before the deadline.

"I heard the news today," Klopas said yesterday of the Shaqiri decision. "I think that when you look at it, it's best for both parties, the way they can come to an agreement. I personally wish 'Shaq' all the best. There's nothing for me to say, other than you look at what he has done in his career up to this point and where he's been, there's no need for me to, to speak on his record and his career speaks for itself."

Shaqiri had a challenging spell across his two-and-a-half seasons, but not for lack of heart. He and the Fire never seemed like truly the right fit, and it was an uncomfortable arrangement that neither side was totally at fault for. For the bulk of his time with the club, he was shoehorned into the central #10 role – not his natural position – while pushing homegrown rising star Brian Gutiérrez out onto the wing.

"There's a level of respect on both sides," Klopas said of Shaqiri. "We didn't always see eye to eye. We challenged each other. We pushed each other because at the end of the day, we wanted to bring out the best and I had to push him. But it was to push him in a way with respect, and you earn that over the years and the way you treat people, so I wish him nothing but the best moving forward.

"But I guess it probably comes at the best time for both."

Shaqiri scored just six times from the run of play across his two-and-a-half seasons and has been widely regarded as a big-money flop. Though he did show flashes of quality, the deal will ultimately go down as a disappointment. The former captain now becomes a free agent and will be able to choose his next club, though where that is will largely be impacted by the level of salary he seeks out.

Lassiter arrives

Shaqiri's departure opened on senior roster spot, and it took less than six hours for the Fire to finalize a trade to fill it. Klopas actually said earlier in that day that if a player was to come in, it would likely be depth for the left wing back position, and that they were looking for "possibly someone on that (left) side that can be a winger or a wing back." Ari Lassiter fits that definition precisely.

A pacy and talented wide player for both club and country, Lassiter has mostly bounced between clubs in MLS over the last few seasons. Though he hasn't always been the week-in, week-out starter with CF Montréal, his upside is tremendous when he's at his best, even if at 29, he probably won't get much better than he is now.

Primarily a winger but who can also be an attacking left wing back, Lassier fits into the Fire as depth in Andrew Gutman's position. He is also an option to play on the wing should the Fire revert to a 4-2-3-1 formation due to the total lack of depth out wide. Only Maren Haile-Selassie and Chris Mueller are recognized wingers in the first team squad.

Lassiter is currently on vacation after Montréal agreed to give him time off after a busy summer, but will report in Chicago by the end of the week. His contract expires at the end of this season, so this is a short-term arrangement that could theoretically be renewed if he excels with the Fire. If that doesn't happen, his up-to-nine-game stint will probably be among the more forgettable ones in MLS history.

Updated roster tracker

Shaqiri's departure and Lassiter's arrival prompted an update to our Chicago Fire Roster Tracker. The repeated usage of Fire II players as first team options in recent weeks provides encouragement for those on the second team roster, even if not all of them have seen the field in their short-term call-ups.