CHICAGO (June 23, 2026) - Chicago Fire FC today announced the departure of assistant coach Filipe Çelikkaya from the Club to become the head coach of Hungarian League side ZTE FC.
“We would like to thank Filipe for his contributions to our Club on and off the sideline,” said Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “We are thrilled for his first role as head coach of a first division team, especially in an environment as competitive as the Hungarian League.
“Although we will miss the connection he had with players across our pathway and his devotion to their professional and personal growth, we also strongly support his development and that of our technical staff. We congratulate him on this new challenge and know he will be great in anything that comes next.”
Çelikkaya joined the Fire in January 2025 from Sporting Clube Portugal, where he served as the Head Coach of Sporting CP B for the prior five seasons. He had previously served as an Assistant Coach for FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukrainian Premier League for the 2019-20 season, helping the club win its 13th league title, while also competing in the UEFA Champions League and reaching the Europa League semifinal.
After concluding his professional playing career in 2007, Çelikkaya transitioned into coaching in 2009 when he was named the Head Coach of the U-17 team for Portuguese club Almada A.C. Since then, he held youth and first division coaching positions with Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Al Ahli in the United Arab Emirates, Sporting CP, G.D. Chaves, and Vitória Sport Clube.
