With 122 goals to his name, including 16 in European competition, Berić comes to Chicago with a track record of success across more than 330 appearances in the top divisions in Slovenia, Austria, and France. He introduced himself to his new city in the most Chicago way possible.
January 18, 2020 | David Zdrilic
Zdrilic most recently served as an assistant coach for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig's U-19 team after a playing career spanning 395 appearances, including time in Europe and his native Australia.
January 20, 2020 | Connor Sparrow
The new-look Chicago Fire FC were off to a 0-1-1 start to the 2020 campaign before the MLS season was suspended due to COVID-19. When play resumes at the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, the Fire will finally have their full roster together for the first time.
To get you ready, we’ve compiled all of the Fire's recent moves including player signings, coaching hires, and front office additions.
Before we get to the new faces, here are the players returning from the 2019 campaign: Michael Azira, Jonathan Bornstein, Brandt Bronico, Francisco Calvo, Przemysław Frankowski, Jeremiah Gutjahr, Fabian Herbers, Johan Kappelhof, Kenneth Kronholm, Djordje Mihailović, Andre Reynolds II, CJ Sapong, Gabriel Slonina.
October 10, 2019 | Álvaro Medrán
Developed in Real Madrid's famed youth system, Medrán played alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić before most recently competing in La Liga for Rayo Vallecano.
December 10, 2019 | Nicholas Slonina
The older brother of Fire goalkeeper and fellow homegrown Gabriel Slonina, Nicholas rose through the ranks of the Club's Academy and was a member of the U-17 U.S. Men's National Team during the Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 semesters.
December 20, 2019 | Georg Heitz
Heitz comes to Chicago after a wildly successful start to his career as an executive in Europe, winning eight consecutive Swiss championships (2010-17) and three Swiss Cup trophies (2010, 2012, 2017) with FC Basel.
December 27, 2019 | Raphael Wicky
A former Swiss international, Wicky brings to Chicago 27 years of experience as a player and coach. He previously teamed up with Heitz at FC Basel, where he guided the club to a historic UEFA Champions League Round of 16 appearance in 2017.
December 28, 2019 | Sebastian Pelzer
Pelzer played for seven clubs in Germany and England over a 16-year career and spent five years on the players' council of the German Professional Footballers' Association. In his role for Chicago, he will scout and evaluate players both locally and abroad.
January 8, 2020 | Ben Donachie
Donachie spent the last eight seasons as the lead strength and conditioning coach for English Premier League club AFC Bournemouth, overseeing the development and rehabilitation of both the first team and academy.
January 14, 2020 | Frank Klopas
A Chicago sporting icon, Klopas returns to the Fire sideline after serving as a player, head coach, technical director, team ambassador and broadcaster over the course of 22 years. He was inducted into the Club's Ring of Fire in 2004 and Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
January 15, 2020 | Technical staff
Led by goalkeeper coach Adin Brown and performance coach John Grace, Wicky's filled out his staff with hires from head athletic trainer to massage therapist and equipment manager.
January 17, 2020 | Mauricio Pineda
One of the nation's top collegiate players over the last four years at North Carolina, Pineda returns to his hometown Club to begin his professional career. He previously helped the Fire win its first-ever U.S. Soccer Development Academy National Championship in 2015 and has earned U-18 and U-19 USMNT call-ups.
January 18, 2020 | Robert Berić
With 122 goals to his name, including 16 in European competition, Berić comes to Chicago with a track record of success across more than 330 appearances in the top divisions in Slovenia, Austria, and France. He introduced himself to his new city in the most Chicago way possible.
January 18, 2020 | David Zdrilic
Zdrilic most recently served as an assistant coach for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig's U-19 team after a playing career spanning 395 appearances, including time in Europe and his native Australia.
January 20, 2020 | Connor Sparrow
Since beginning his professional career in 2016, Sparrow has appeared 40 times for Real Monarchs SLC and Nashville SC. He was orginally selected by Real Salt Lake as the No. 65 overall pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.
January 27, 2020 | Miguel Ángel Navarro
A rising talent in South America, the 20-year-old Navarro has already made more than 60 appearances in Venezuela's top flight and earned nine caps at the youth international level. He could compete for his country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics should Venezuela qualify.
January 30, 2020 | Bobby Shuttleworth
Shuttleworth is an MLS veteran with 185 league appearances between New England Revolution and Minnesota United FC. He helped lead the Revs to the 2014 MLS Cup final and 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final.
February 6, 2020 | Elliot Collier
A native of New Zealand, Collier first came to the Fire via the 49th overall pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. In 2019, he scored seven goals in 29 appearances on loan for Memphis 901 FC.
February 11, 2020 | Wyatt Omsberg
Omsberg, 24, was originally selected by Minnesota United as the No. 15 overall pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft and comes to Chicago via trade after spending the 2019 season on loan to Forward Madison FC.
February 15, 2020 | Boris Sekulić
Sekulić, 28 and capped by the Slovakia national team, joins the Fire with an extensive professional career, including 285 appearances across all competitions in Serbia, Slovakia, Bulgaria and, most recently, Poland.
February 19, 2020 | Ignacio Aliseda
Aliseda, just 19 years old, began his professional career with Defensa y Justicia in 2018 and has spent the past two seasons with the club, making 38 appearances across all competitions.
February 20, 2020 | Luka Stojanović
During his time with FC Čukarički in Serbia, Stojanović made 73 appearances, including four appearances in the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League, and scored 23 goals across all competitions.
February 24, 2020 | Gastón Giménez
Giménez, 28, comes to Chicago with more than 225 appearances across the last 10 seasons in Argentina. At the international level, Giménez has earned one cap for Argentina’s senior team, featuring in a friendly against Mexico on Nov. 17, 2018.
March 3, 2020 | Broadcast Team
Of the Fire’s 34 MLS regular season matches, all 24 local broadcasts are being carried on WGN-TV and ESPN+, with 18 matches in prime time.
March 9, 2020 | Brian Gutiérrez
In his time with the Fire Academy, Gutiérrez has appeared in 79 matches (73 starts), while tallying 28 goals and 39 assists.
March 10, 2020 | Javier Casas
Throughout his time with the Fire organization, Casas has made 65 total appearances (64 starts), including 19 appearances (19 starts) for the Academy.
March 11, 2020 | Alex Monis
In 19 appearances (18 starts) for the Academy, Monis scored ten goals and added two assists.
March 24, 2020 | Chris Brady
Throughout his four seasons with the Fire Academy, Brady made 48 appearances (48 starts) while competing in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) league.
March 25, 2020 | Allan Rodríguez
Within a few months of joining the Fire Academy in 2019, the midfielder was called into his first U.S. Youth National Team camp, where he captained the USA to a first place finish in Group B of the Concacaf Boys’ U-15 Championship.
