Chicago City Wire

CHICAGO (Aug. 12, 2024) – Chicago Fire FC Sporting Director Georg Heitz announced today that he will depart the club following the conclusion of the Fire’s 2024 MLS season for personal reasons.

"It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to return to Switzerland after the 2024 season due to personal reasons,” said Heitz. “I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to 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.”

“I also want to thank the players, coaches, staff, fans, and everyone associated with the Chicago Fire for their hard work and support,” added Heitz. “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. With the move into a new performance center and added roster flexibility in the offseason, I am confident that the future is bright for this Club. We also remain fully committed to qualifying for the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs and will give everything until the very last moment to achieve that goal."

“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,” said Chicago Fire FC Owner and Chairman Joe Mansueto. “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.”

Heitz originally joined the Fire as Sporting Director on Dec. 20, 2019, overseeing all aspects of the club’s football operations. Under Heitz’s leadership, Chicago Fire implemented a global scouting operation, added Chicago Fire FC II to complete a professional pathway from Academy to First Team, and built a multi-club network by acquiring Swiss Super League side FC Lugano.

Additionally, emphasis was placed on identifying talented players from overseas through an enhanced focus on Chicago Fire Academy. During Heitz’s tenure of over four seasons, ten Homegrown Players were signed while three players were transferred to top-five leagues; most notably Jhon Durán's and Gaga Slonina’s transfers are among significant outgoing moves in MLS history.

With nine matches remaining in its 2024 MLS regular season campaign, Chicago Fire will conduct a global search for a new sporting director. Moving forward, Heitz will continue as a member of FC Lugano's board of directors playing a key role in maintaining relations between both clubs.

Chicago returns to MLS regular season action on Saturday Aug. 24 against New York City FC at Citi Field at 6:30 p.m CT; broadcasts available globally via MLS Season Pass locally on wlsam.com (English) WRTO1200 AM (Spanish).

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