Chicago Fire FC part ways with head coach Raphael Wicky

Chicago Fire FC have parted ways with head coach Raphael Wicky, the club announced Thursday. Assistant coach Frank Klopas will lead Chicago on an interim basis while the search for a new head coach unfolds.

Wicky departs with the club sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, following a 2-0 win over New York City FC on Wednesday night.

“I’d like to thank Rapha for his tireless efforts to make us a better club each day,” sporting director Georg Heitz said in a release. “We felt this was the right time to notify him that we will not be exercising his 2022 contract option, as we begin to make decisions for next season. Rapha will always be a part of the Fire family, and we wish him all the best for the future.”

After taking over before the 2020 season, Wicky led the Fire to a 12W-25L-14D record during the MLS regular season. The club's set to miss the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the 10th time in 12 seasons, having also finished one place out of the expanded postseason last year.

Wicky previously led the US U-17 men’s national team and Swiss Super League side FC Basel, where he crossed paths with Heitz.

Klopas, who previously served as head coach of the Fire between 2011 and 2013, will not be a candidate for the head coaching position, a source told MLSsoccer.com. He is expected to return to his current assistant role next season, while the club will add an interim assistant coach for the remainder of the 2021 season, the source added.

This is the seventh MLS head coaching change of the 2021 campaign (six departures, one voluntary) and the second this week after FC Cincinnati parted ways with Jaap Stam.