The 2025 Chicago Fire FC season is the club's 28th season in Major League Soccer. This is the club's first season under owner Joe Mansuetto without sporting director Georg Heitz, who stepped down following the previous season's conclusion.[1] It was announced that he, alongside head coach Frank Klopas, would be replaced by former USMNT and Columbus Crew head coach Gregg Berhalter on October 8, 2024, with Berhalter formally taking over on October 20.[2]
The first front office move of the offseason occurred on October 8, 2024. On that day, former USMNT and Columbus Crew head coach was announced as the new Fire head coach and director of football. He replaces controversial outgoing general manager Georg Heitz and club legend Frank Klopas as head coach. Berhalter will be in charge of the Fire, the Fire's second team, and the club's academy. Frank Klopas was moved into the new Vice President of Football role. On November 8, the Fire announced that assistant coaches Paulo Nagamura and Carlos García were let go by the club, while former Fire player Michael Stephens was announced as the Fire's new head of player recruitment, with the announcement of Gregg Brouhgton as sporting director coming on November 12.[3][4][5] On November 23, the Fire announced that technical director Sebastian Pelzer was moving to the Fire's sister club FC Lugano as Chief Sports Officer.[6] On December 23, the Fire announced three more front office moves, hiring Darcy Norman as Director of Performance and Zayne Thomajan as General Manager while promoting Eddie Rock to Head of Strategy from his previous position as Senior Vice President of Football Operations.[7]
The Fire's first roster moves came on October 22, when the club announced the options and contract statuses for nine players. Defender Jonathan Dean and goalkeeper Jeffrey Gal both had their options exercised, while defender Rafael Czichos, midfielders Fabian Herbers and Ariel Lassiter, and goalkeeper Spencer Richey were all out of contract, along with defender Allan Arigoni's loan from sister club FC Lugano not being made permanent. Midfielder Javier Casas' option was declined and defender Wyatt Omsberg's contract expired, but the club announced they were in discussions with both players.[8] The Fire would announce four further options on November 27, announcing that forward Victor Bezerra and midfielder Laurence Wootton had their options declined, alongside forward Missael Rodriguez being waved. All three players had spent the 2024 season on loan to USL and USL League One sides. Goalkeeper Bryan Dowd would see his contract exercised after spending the second half of the 2024 season on loan to Huntsville City FC.[9]
The Fire would make their first signing of the offseason on December 11 when the club announced that Fire II midfielder and 2024 MLS Next Pro MVP David Poreba had signed a first team contract. Poreba would ultimately be followed by fellow Fire II winger Omari Glasgow on December 17, making them the first two players to be promoted from the second team to the first team (defender Justin Reynolds was signed in 2022 as a Homegrown, though he'd played with the second team before being officially signed).[10][11] On December 16 the Fire announced the signing of Jack Elliott as a free agent. Elliot, a defender, had most recently played for the Philadelphia Union, where he'd won a Supporter's Shield and played over 270 games across all competitions.[12] On December 20, the Fire announced the signing of midfielder Dylan Borso to a Homegrown contract.[13] Later in the day the Fire would draft forward Dean Boltz from the University of Wisconsin and defenders Travis Smith Jr from Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's soccer and Geni Kanyane from the University of Dayton. As Dean Boltz had signed a Generation Adidas contract with MLS, he was formally added to the Fire when drafted.[14]
On December 13, the Fire announced that forward Georgios Koutsias had been loaned to Lugano for the duration of the 2025 season with an option to buy as well as a potential permanent transfer option.[15] On December 24, the Fire announced that DP midfielder Gastón Giménez and the Fire had agreed to mutually terminate his contract, followed Janury 2 by defender Tobias Salquist being sold to Danish side FC Nordsjælland. [16][17]
Note: italics indicates a player who left during the season while * indicates a Fire II player that joined on a short-term loan or for the League's Cup
Degerfors IF
Hibernian F.C.
Rafael Czichos
Ariel Lassiter
Gastón Giménez
Tobias Salquist
Geni Kanyane
Darcy Norman
