- Xherdan Shaqiri leaves the MLS club Chicago Fire after two and a half years and over 70 games.
- “We have agreed that a separation is the best for everyone involved,” quotes Chicago’s sports director Georg Heitz.
- Where the 125-time former Swiss national player goes next is still open.
After almost exactly two and a half years, Xherdan Shaqiri’s time at Chicago Fire is officially over. The former national player and the club from the state of Illinois agreed on a contract termination. Originally, the contract was supposed to run until the end of the year.
“In conversations with Xherdan, we concluded that a separation is the best for everyone involved,” said Chicago’s Swiss sports director Georg Heitz regarding the contract termination. Heitz himself will also leave the MLS club at the end of the year. At the same time, Chicago thanked Shaqiri via the platform X.
Unfulfilled Expectations
For the “Fire”, who are currently in a disappointing second-to-last place in the Eastern Conference after 25 of 34 rounds in the regular season, Shaqiri recorded 16 goals and 13 assists in 75 competitive matches. In the current season, he has 2 goals and 1 assist in 12 appearances.
The high expectations were never truly met by Shaqiri, who was one of 3 “Designated Players” (players who fall outside the salary cap) at Chicago. At the time of his transfer from Olympique Lyon in early February 2022, he was Chicago’s most expensive transfer in club history at 7 million euros.
On to New Adventures
“I believe this is the right time for me to explore new opportunities in my career,” said the 32-year-old in a club statement on Wednesday. “I want to thank the club and the fans for their support during my time in Chicago. I wish the Fire nothing but success for the future.”
Where Shaqiri goes next is still unknown.