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Chris Mueller moved to Scotland aiming to make the most of his first stint abroad, but after a frustrating time with Scottish Premiership club Hibernian, Mueller is back in Major League Soccer and focused on getting back to his best on the field. Mueller joined the Chicago Fire last week, sealing a return to his home state after growing up in Schaumburg, Illinois and playing as a youth player for the Chicago Sockers. The 25-year-old made his Fire debut in last weekend’s 4-1 road loss to Atlanta United, earning his first 45 minutes under Ezra Hendrickson and playing with a new group of teammate ..read more

When new owner Joe Mansueto completed the purchase of the Chicago Fire in September, major changes were already in the works regarding everything from the team’s home venue to potentially a new logo. What didn’t seem to be a planned change, at least initially, was the team’s technical staff. Head coach Veljko Paunovic and president and general manager Nelson Rodriguez looked to be safe in their roles, but that appears to be ready to change. The Fire are parting ways with Paunovic, announcing the news on Wednesday. The move isn’t a big shock given the team’s poor results during Paunovic’s four ..read more

Longtime German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is calling it a career. The Chicago Fire announced Tuesday that the 35-year-old is retiring from football after an 18-year career in the sport. Schweinsteiger recorded 619 first-team appearances throughout his career which saw stops at Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and the Fire. “Basti has meant so much to our Club,” Chicago Fire Owner and Chairman Joe Mansueto said. “It was an absolute pleasure to watch him play. His soccer IQ is so elite, you can see that he’s three steps ahead at every turn. He’s a leader, a great teammate and a generati ..read more

The Fire are heading back to downtown Chicago and they will be under new management when they get there. As was reported earlier this week, the Chicago Fire came to an agreement with the Chicago Park District board to seal a permanent move to Soldier Field in 2020. The team played their home games from 1997 until moving to Bridgeview after the 2005 season. They played in the western suburb of Naperville for the entire 2002 season and first part of 2003 while Soldier Field was being renovated. The Fire averaged 17,238 fans in their last season downtown, more than all but one of their seasons in ..read more

The Chicago Fire are reportedly inching closer to a permanent move to Soldier Field. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Park District voted at its monthly board meeting Wednesday to continue negotiations and enter into a permit and operating agreement. The agreement states that the Fire want to use the 61,500-seat stadium starting in the 2020 Major League Soccer season. “Given today’s positive vote, we’re excited to continue working with the Chicago Park District to finalize an agreement,” the club said in a statement. Other parts of the agreement include a three-year term with ext ..read more

The Chicago Fire could return to their old stomping grounds next season as a temporary solution for its stadium issues. The Fire are expected to return to Soldier Field in 2020, where the club previously resided for seven seasons. A club announcement was posted on Monday, but quickly removed off the Fire’s official website. Since the team’s departure from Soldier Field in 2005, the Fire have played all their home MLS matches at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill.. On July 9, the Chicago Tribune reported that the Fire broke the terms of their current lease at SeatGeek Stadium at a cost of over ..read more

Saturday’s Chicago Fire-Real Salt Lake match brought a battle between two goalkeepers who could eventually be on either side of the storied United States-Mexico rivalry. Seventeen-year-old Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina outdueled Real Salt Lake’s former U.S. men’s national team prospect David Ochoa, who recently opted to join Mexico’s national team. The Fire won 1-0 with a goal from Robert Beric as Slonina earned a shutout and fought away 16 shots from RSL. “I think first and foremost it’s always about the team, so whoever gets Man of the Match, of course, it’s a great thing for him ..read more

One of the best young goalkeeper prospects in the American talent pipeline reached a major milestone on Wednesday, making history in the process. Gabriel Slonina became the youngest goalkeeper to ever start a match in MLS on Wednesday, and marked his record-setting day with a four-save shutout to help the Chicago Fire earn a 0-0 draw with red-hot New York City FC. The 17-year-old stepped into the lineup in place of injured veteran Bobby Shuttleworth and delivered a poised performance in goal. “We obviously know what he is capable of, he shows it everyday in training,” Fire head coach Raphael W ..read more

When 2020 began, the Chicago Fire were set up for a special year, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed all that, and instead of a breakout 2020 with a revamped team and new look, the Fire and its roster full of new faces endured a challenging season on multiple fronts. With a new billionaire owner, a fresh rebrand, and a return to the city’s iconic Soldier Field, the expectations were that the Fire would be elevated in one of America’s best sports markets, and incoming manager Raphael Wicky was crafting a team worthy of the hype. Money was spent on the team, but the rebrand fell flat and is unde ..read more