2024 Chicago Fire in Review: Rafael Czichos

Rafael Czichos’ third season with the Chicago Fire ended with his side outside of the playoff picture despite another year with over 25 starts in MLS for the center back.

Czichos relinquished the captain’s armband ahead of the 2024 season after donning it the previous two. The center back managed to score a goal in the Fire’s 2-1 loss to Inter Miami on July 20 while collecting an assist in Chicago's 4-3 comeback victories over CF Montréal and the Philadelphia Union. Those were his lone goal contributions during the 2024 season as he was hampered by a few nagging injuries throughout the campaign.

Czichos was a consistent presence in the Fire’s starting 11 until those injuries began in May. He managed to play throughout most of the summer in MLS while not featuring in Leagues Cup but had injuries arise that kept him out of competition for most of September, though he d id feature in each of the final three regular-season matches.

The defender is out of contract and eligible for Major League Soccer’s re-entry draft after the Fire announced they weren't offering him a new contract after the 2024 season. Based on the goodbyes he was giving in the locker room after the Fire’s season finale against Nashville, it was apparent that Czichos was on the way out, and, in this writer’s opinion, it'd be a shock to see him play elsewhere in MLS in 2025.

A team in Europe is a far more likely spot should Czichos choose to continue his playing career following his time with the Fire.