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Frank Klopas set to return as Fire head coach (Photo: Amanda Cortese).

Fire Name Klopas Permanent Head Coach

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By on Chicago Fire, Latest, MLS, MLS Eastern Conference

CHICAGO, IL–Frank Klopas’s third stint as Chicago Fire FC head coach will last a little longer. The club announced that he will coach the team for the 2024 season. This will be Klopas’s second full-time stint with the Fire having coached them from 2011 to 2013. Klopas had his second interim stint finishing out the 2021 season after the sacking of Rafael Wicky. For this current stint, Klopas replaced Ezra Hendrickson on May 8th and led the Fire and went 8-11-5, finishing 13th in the East and missing the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season. Overall, Klopas holds a 49-43-29 regular season record which is third best in club history.

“We conducted a thorough process with numerous well-qualified candidates, and we believe that Frank Klopas is the right person to lead the team,” said Chicago Fire FC Sporting Director Georg Heitz. “Frank is hard working, has strong relationships with our players and staff, and knows what it takes to be successful in this League. During the interview process Frank laid out a clear plan to create a winning culture and mentality within the Club, and we are all aligned on the areas that we need to strengthen to be much more competitive in 2024. We will work closely with Frank to improve the roster and finalize his coaching staff for the upcoming season.”

Klopas has done just about everything asked of him by the club and then some starting as a player from 1998 to 2000, to a technical director, commentator on the local broadcast, to assistant coach, and head coach again.

“I’ve never made it a secret how much I care for this wonderful Club and city. Chicago is my home, and I would do anything to bring success to the Fire,” said Klopas. “At this time, I believe that stepping back onto the sidelines is where I can best help this Club achieve its goals. I’m excited to build a strong culture and a winning mentality within the team, where everyone is committed to a standard of excellence and hard work. I am very grateful to [owner]Joe Mansueto and our technical staff for their trust. I would also like to thank our fans for their unwavering support, and I look forward to experiencing many positive moments together at Soldier Field next season.”

COMMENT:

As much as Fire fans appreciate everything Frank Klopas has done for the club and the city and admire Frank’s passion for both, few Fire fans think this is the right decision. He was unable to build off a 2012 playoff appearance and was get the Fire into the playoffs this season.
The context here is that the Fire have not made the playoffs in 12 of the last 14 seasons and retaining sporting director Georg Heitz (whom this reporter suggested should have been sacked here on previous posts) and Klopas give Fire fans little confidence that things will change for the better in 2024 (especially with an underperforming Xherdan Shaqiri and countless other busts in signing designated players).
The other side of the coin is that on the plus side, there is a new training facility coming this Summer and that the Academy is producing more talent that could transition to the first team in the future. From there, the argument could be made that the infrastructure is being set up so that success will eventually follow in the future. However, fairly or unfairly, the most important metric to fans is winning and how the first team does in the present. Right now, all fans have seen for the better part of the last 14 seasons has ranged from mediocrity to futility.
Should the Fire become successful and end their playoff drought this coming season, we will hold our hands up and acknowledge both our folly and their success. However, should 2024 not be a successful season at Soldier Field (or times when they have to play at SeatGeek Stadium), the owner Joe Mansueto will be pressured to bring in people who can provide a fresh set of ideas and get the club from Point B to Point C.
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About Author

Dan has covered soccer in Chicago since 2004 with The Fire Alarm and as editor and webmaster of Windy City Soccer. His favorite teams are the Chicago Fire, Chicago Red Stars, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bayern Munich, and Glasgow Celtic.

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