Chicago Fire sporting director Georg Heitz to leave club

Chicago Fire announced on Monday, that sporting director Georg Heitz will leave the club. This will be after the 2024 MLS season. 

Mentioning personal reasons, Heitz will return to Switzerland after five seasons managing Chicago’s football operations. He will remain on the board of directors at partner club FC Lugano. And will keep playing a major role in the relationship between both teams.

“I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to [Chicago Fire owner] Joe Mansueto and his family for their unwavering trust and loyalty. Their commitment to the club is exceptional, and working alongside them has been an honor,” Heitz said in an official statement.

“… Although the results have fallen short of our expectations, I am proud of our progress in other important areas and the working culture we’ve established, which will serve the organization well moving forward.”

Heitz became Chicago sporting director in December 2019. During his stint, the Fire signed 10 homegrown players. They also completed two major outbound transfers: goalkeeper Gaga Slonina joining Chelsea FC and forward Jhon Durán joining Aston Villa. 

He also presided over the signing of Swiss player Xherdan Shaqiri and club-record signing Hugo Cuypers. 

Additionally, Chicago formed MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Chicago Fire II. They set up an international, multi-club network by buying of Swiss Super League side FC Lugano during Heitz’s tenure. 

But, the Fire failed to reach the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs under Heitz. With nine matches left in their 2024 campaign, Chicago are 14th in the Eastern Conference. They are on pace to miss the postseason for the seventh straight season. 

“Georg recently informed me of his decision to step away from the Fire after the season, and while I respect his choice to return to Switzerland, his presence and leadership will be greatly missed,” Mansueto said in a release.

“I would like to sincerely thank Georg for his dedicated efforts to expand our football operations and build a structure that will set the club up for success.”