Xherdan Shaqiri not with Fire for D.C. United match

Xherdan Shaqiri is not with the Chicago Fire ahead of their match against D.C. United, and he will not play tonight as he joins the Swiss National Team camp in St. Gallen ahead of the European Championships.

The decision was made Friday following discussions last week involving the Fire, the Swiss Federation, and Shaqiri. Though the camp officially starts on Monday, May 27th, the Fire captain is traveling early to begin tournament preparations.

Shaqiri, now 32, is midway through the final campaign of his three-year, $8 million per season Designated Player deal. He’s yet to score from the run of play this season after doing so just three times in 2023, but inconsistency at the club level didn’t stop Swiss National Team coach Murat Yakin from naming him to his provisional

squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament. Shaqiri did not travel with his Fire teammates to Washington as they gear up for a Saturday night Eastern Conference battle with D.C..

In his midweek media availability, Fire head coach Frank Klopas hinted at the potential for some business involving his star #10 in the upcoming summer transfer window.

“I think everything is up in the air,” Klopas said on Wednesday of Shaqiri’s future. “[As] with every player going into the last year of their contract, I think the European summer window is the one that has more and bigger opportunities. It has to make sense also for the team.”

“I'm sure that's in his mind, and the other players whose contracts are up this year, because the summer window is the one [where] there's more flexibility and with teams looking to make a lot of moves.”

The Fire’s Swiss sister club, FC Lugano, has been cited as a possible future destination for the star midfielder, as he has trained there during past offseasons. MLS rules mandate that a transfer to Lugano would require the use of a contract buyout, and while the Fire have already used one to send struggling forward Kacper Przybyłko across to the Bianoneri, the reported addition of a second buyout ahead of this summer would make a potential deal possible.

For Shaqiri, a “big-game player” who made his reputation by scoring important goals at major tournaments, the Euros next month represent an opportunity to play for his country on the biggest stage for possibly the final time. Warm-up friendlies on June 4th and June 8th against Estonia and Austria will play an important role in Yakin finding his best team and determining what role Shaqiri will play this summer.

“What is needed now is clarity on who is in what form,” the Switzerland boss told media during their most recent set of matches. “[Shaqiri] must also know and understand his role and accept it.”

"I am Xherdan's biggest fan, and I know exactly how brilliant he can be," Yakin told NZZ. "It's good that Xherdan is coming to our camp early and can get into the rhythm before the tournament."

Despite being the face of the Swiss national team for the better part of the last 12 years, Shaqiri is not expected to be the focal point that he once was. Recently, he’s come off the bench in some matches, a sight most in his homeland are not accustomed to at the international level. His more limited role has been a subject of debate back home, as all things Shaqiri are typically under a close microscope in Switzerland.

Now, with the highly-anticipated Euros finally on the horizon, fans on both sides of the Atlantic will be wondering if they've seen the last of Shaqiri in a Chicago Fire shirt.