Xherdan Shaqiri, the newest member of the Chicago Fire, met the media today at the Blackstone Hotel, and it’s clear from today’s session that his arrival is win-win-win. He’s instantly the best player on the club, and given that status, he’ll play every day that he’s fit.
That’s great for Shaqiri, who needs the minutes in order to be at his best when he represents Switzerland in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Shaq has won some of the most glorious honors in football, played at some of the biggest clubs, and learned from some of the best managers. He discussed one of them, Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp, today.
Big day in @ChicagoFire history. Bringing Xherdan Shaqiri here @blackstone .
This marks the second biggest signing in club history, behind only Bastian Schweinsteiger #cffc #cf97 #MLS pic.twitter.com/130XmUiZVs— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) February 21, 2022
“Jürgen I know for a long time, since I played for Bayern, we played against him. He was a Dortmund coach, so it was big rivalry there. So yeah, I had a wonderful, wonderful three years at Liverpool. We won many titles.
“I had a really beautiful time and can always learn from these big coaches,” Shaqiri said.
The Fire’s new Designated Player (a slot that was created in Major League Soccer when the L.A. Galaxy signed David Beckham) has now become the most expensive transfer signing in club history.
The Swiss midfield maestro, who reportedly speaks five languages, said he still stays in touch with Klopp, and that the German sent him a congratulatory text when he made the move across the pond.
“I’m proud that I work with Jürgen Klopp,” Shaqiri added.
“I work with Guardiola; I work (with) Jupp Heynckes; I work with Hitzfeld, big coaches who won a lot of titles, who had a lot of experience, so you can learn a lot, and I’m very proud of that I learned so many things about them because every coach is a bit different, and yeah, it’s only positive for your career.
“So, yeah, Jürgen and I had a really good relationship.”
Shaqiri, who slots in at the No. 10 position, signed a deal that will run through the 2024 season.
His base salary will reportedly be $4.6 million, but he could earn up to $7M in bonuses and add-ons. The Fire acquired him from French club Lyon for €7m, after the Ligue 1 side signed him from Liverpool for €6m. The 30-year-old is easily one of the three biggest signings in Fire history and definitely one of the three most recognizable players in MLS.
His addition means that Chicago should finally be able to break their half-decade playoff drought this season. While that may not sound like a long time, in MLS, it’s fairly easy to make the postseason.
Plan for Xherdan Shaqiri is to use him as a No. 10, which would be great for creating and hopefully finishing, obviously, more chances in the final third. Should make enough difference to make the #chicagofire #CFFC a playoff team this season pic.twitter.com/zxPcDNJhz2
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) February 21, 2022
Teams with sub .500 records reach the expanded postseason with regularity.
The Fire, despite having a poor record last season, weren’t too far off the postseason pace. Sporting Director Georg Heitz, a countryman to Shaqiri who is quite familiar with him, spoke today of making big changes to try and fix that.
“We wanted to bring a couple of really highly skilled players, and also with mentality,” said Heitz, who previously worked with Shaqiri at FC Basel.
“We need more confidence on the field, and we are really looking forward to seeing Xherdan, but also the other new players and the players who are still here to perform in the upcoming weeks.”
The hope is that Shaq, who has winners medals in the Premier League, Bundesliga (3x) and Champions League (2x), will bring that winning mentality to the club.
Shaqiri and the Fire will kick off the Club’s 25th season in MLS against David Beckham’s Inter Miami CF on Saturday, Feb. 26, at DRV PNK Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Beginning at 5:00 p.m. CT, the match will be broadcast live on WGN-TV and CFFC Live.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.