Chicago Fire Soccer announced today that the club will not exercise their option for Senior International midfielder Pascal Bedrossian, thus terminating his contract. Per Major League Soccer regulation, the Fire will retain the right of first refusal for Bedrossian for 12 months. Fire midfielder Ivan Guerrero obtained his green card today and as a result, two of four Senior International roster slots on the club's 28-man roster have opened. One of the Senior International slots will be filled on July 1, by the Fire's Designated Player signing, Cuauhtémoc Blanco.
The Fire signed Bedrossian on Aug. 23, 2006, from Angers SCO of the French Second Division. A right hamstring injury limited his time to only a single game last year, in which he came off the bench on Oct. 15 against D.C. United in the 3-2 win. Bedrossian again fell to injury during the Fire's 2007 preseason, re-injuring his hamstring and limiting his play through the Fire's first 12 games.
"I would like to thank Pascal for his time here with the Fire," said President/CEO John Guppy. "The organization has benefited from his contributions and we wish him the best of luck in the future."
Before joining the Fire, Bedrossian played for Angers SOC and was a part of the FC Lorient squad that captured the 2002 Coupe de France (French Cup), giving the team its first and only championship in the 88-year old tournament. Bedrossian also twice competed in the UEFA Cup, logging two games with Lorient in the 2002-03 tournament and scoring a goal in three appearances for AS Cannes in the 1994-95 competition, helping the squad to the second round. Bedrossian also played as a youth in the French National Team program for its Under-15, Under-17, Under-18 and Under-23 sides.
