CHICAGO, IL-The Chicago Fire clearly has a new vision entering the 2020 season as they introduced its new coach Raphael Wicky at the CIBC Fire Pitch on Wednesday.
Wicky takes the reigns of leading a group of veteran players and several new players being added to the new-look Fire recently which began practices over the last few days beginning its preseason workouts.
“This is a big day for me too,” Wicky said. “I’m really, really happy being honored to be the new Chicago Fire head coach. I had a really nice talk with the players over the weekend. Then on Monday, we had a good meeting with all the new staff.”
Starting out, Wicky had to get the team and the staff on board to what’s expected with his thoughts and the direction ahead of them.
“That’s always the one of the biggest adjustments when you come in as new head coach,” Wicky said. “With a new staff and building a new team. The first day, the focus is on the team culture, how are we going to live together, how we are going to play together and be together every single day. That’s just not on the field, that’s more off the field. Then over the next days, weeks and months, I will give my ideas on how I see the game to the team. It’s all the principles for the team it will take time. It’s not going to be done overnight. The good thing here, we have a big part of the roster which they know each other and have played together already for a good part of time. For the next week’s, we will add some other pieces. When a new one comes, we will introduce them to the other players.”
Already, Wicky has expressed what will be expected to the players as in the past with the Chicago Fire. It’s the continued passion on the field to get the results.
“The message to the players on the first day was, ‘I want the team with passion and you have to win and fight.’ You can always have mistakes on the field. Technically, as long as you learn, you do that for yourself and for the team,” Wicky said. “We want to do that as quick as possible for the culture and winning as a team. But, the reality is that it takes time to build something. We want to win and that’s the mentality of these players we have and the staff.”
As for the style of what’s expected on the field, the play will follow the way that Wicky and staff will propose on the field.
“It’s a hard-working team and not about the individual,” Wicky said. “We have to defend together, helping each other, 11 guys is what we want to see. On top of that, I have a field vision of how I see the game. We will work with some principles of play, work on each and every single day, trying to get the message to the players. You have to be good in all four phases of the game. Especially, in his league. It’s different than any other league. There are some many things that are different and difficult. It’s much different than Europe, when most flights are maybe an hour, less travel and less changes.”
Taking on the position, Wicky was approached on the idea recently before the end of the year. It appeared that he didn’t want to pass up on the opportunity of something new here in Chicago.
“I saw this as a great opportunity,” Wicky said. “To start building something with new people. I was approached before Christmas and I was in Switzerland. I had some really good conversations with the vision and how we see things. For me, it was very important for my next job or club job keeping things together. Honestly, there’s something exciting about this club and its an exciting time to be a head coach.”
One of the returning Fire players, Johan Kappelhof sees a totally different feeling with the start of the preseason.
“It’s like a new look, for me, I’ve been here four years now,” Kappelhof said. “This year, everything new with logo, new stadium, new players, and new owner. It feels like playing with a new club. We have gone through the philosophies and principles, just the basic things that we have to be aware of during the whole season.”
Jonathan Bornstein as a player has seen the changes first hand and has a good perspective about it all.
“Whenever there’s change, you can take It two ways as you can take it slow or you can accelerate very quickly,” Bornstein said. “I like to think it as the second one because this will be my first season with he Fire from the beginning. I think we have enough time to build a good group and get on a good page.”
One of the recent additions, Robert Beric from Slovenia, is getting accustomed to his new place, players, and coach.
“Interesting to come here and a new challenge,” Beric said. “It’s a new way of life. new country and everything is new. We’re in a phase for preparation and it’s difficult to say, but it will be a good story. Hopefully, we will prepare well for the good season.”
The Chicago Fire will continue its workouts this week before shifting to Florida Saturday for its first leg of training in the preseason
