Terens | What Shaqiri's Signing Means for Chicago

It’s officially official. The Chicago Fire have signed Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri from Lyon.

The knee-jerk reaction for most football fans is, “Wow, that’s a big signing,” and they’re right. It is truly massive. The biggest signing for the Club since Bastian Schweinsteiger. It is a big signing not only for the Fire, but for MLS on the whole. It is an acquisition that has made waves in world football. You can’t be on social media without seeing every major soccer outlet covering the signing of the man who was once labeled the “Alpine Messi.”

But just how big is Shaqiri when thinking about other big name Designated Players around the league? If he plays the way we know he’s capable of, he can set MLS ablaze.

A LOT TO GIVE

Right off the bat, the fact that Shaqiri is 30 should tell you that he’s still got plenty in the tank. We’ve seen European superstars come over to MLS well into their 30s and simply not have the same bite or fitness level they once did in their younger years.

At 30, the same age as Toronto FC’s new Italian star Lorenzo Insigne, he is obviously not at the start of his career. However, he’s nowhere near the “MLS retirement” age stigma that has held true in the past in this league. He is also not a player that has relied strictly on pace or physical attributes throughout his career. His quality on the ball, balance, and vision have made him the player he is. Those things don’t just disappear.

With that said, he has plenty of pace on the ball (probably more so with it than without it), can ride a challenge, and keeps himself in great shape.

WINNER

Say what you will about his playing time on the likes of Bayern Munich or Liverpool, but being a guy who is constantly on winning teams means something. “Shaq” has immediately become the most decorated DP at the club level in MLS.

The Swiss magician has won two UEFA Champions Leagues (Bayern ‘12-‘13 and Liverpool ‘18-‘19), two FIFA Club World Cups, three Bundesliga crowns, one English Premier League and three Swiss Super League titles.

No other DP in MLS really even comes close to this resumé. LA Galaxy’s Chicharito never won a UCL with Manchester United. Insigne has over 300 appearances for Napoli, but that club hasn’t been a major player on the European stage since a guy named Maradona was around.

There have been rumors of Carlos Tevez joining D.C. United, and while he would certainly rival Xherdan from a resumé standpoint, he’d be signing at 38 years old if it does come to fruition.

Inter Miami’s Gonzalo Higuaín has won three La Liga and Serie A titles, but never won a UCL. He came up short for Juventus in the final against Real Madrid in ‘16-‘17.

I am not comparing quality or number of appearances or contributions to their respective teams. I am simply saying from a winning perspective at the club level, Shaqiri is in a league of his own. This is to say nothing of the fact he has 100 caps for the Swiss national team, has participated in three-straight FIFA World Cups (soon to be four?), started all five games (and scored three goals) in the 2020 Euro’s, and scored the goal of the tournament against Poland (sorry, Kacper) in the 2016 edition of the tournament.

It is significant to constantly be a part of winning squads. It obviously means you are good enough to be at the likes of Liverpool or Bayern, but it also shows you know what a winning culture looks like at the highest level. That is invaluable for a club like the Fire, which is trying to establish that type of culture and mentality under Sporting Director Georg Heitz and new head coach Ezra Hendrickson.

As I’ve already mentioned, Shaq has been trying to find the right situation for a few years, but his accolades, play, and star power speak for themselves. He is a winner by trade and baller at heart. There are players who can make you get out of your seat once, and those who can keep you standing for an entire 90 minutes. The Fire are getting the latter. A ticket along the lakefront will be hotter than Oak St. Beach in July.

WELCOME BIG SHAQ!!!

P.S. Shaq INVENTED “Doing it on a rainy day at Stoke.”