Chicago Fire Announce End of Year Roster Decisions

The Gregg Berhalter era has officially started for the Chicago Fire and the club announced their end-of-year roster decisions.

Former captains Fabian Herbers and Rafael Czichos, alongside goalkeeper Spencer Richey and in-season acquisition Ariel Lassiter, have not been offered new contracts by the Fire for the 2025 MLS season. Czichos will be eligible for selection in the 2024 MLS Re-Entry Draft while the other three are eligible for free agency.

Defender Allan Arigoni, who joined the club on loan for the year from FC Lugano and made 28 MLS appearances, had the transfer option declined and will return to Switzerland.

Javier Casas had his 2025 option declined but the Fire are “in discussions” with their Homegrown midfielder regarding the future, though he will be eligible for End of Year Waivers. Center-back Wyatt Omsberg is out of contract and eligible for free agency but the Fire are also looking to bring him back next season potentially.

The club decided to exercise the 2025 contract options for goalkeeper Jeff Gal and defender Jonathan Dean. Gal will compete for the backup ‘keeper role in 2025 following Richey’s departure while Dean can once again play a utility role for the Fire.

2025 options exercised: GK Jeff Gal and defender Jonathan Dean.

Already under guaranteed contracts for 2025:

GK: Chris Brady

DEF: Chase Gasper, Andrew Gutman, Justin Reynolds, Tobias Salquist, Arnaud Souquet, and Carlos Terán

DEF/MID: Mauricio Pineda

MID: Kellyn Acosta, Gastón Giménez, Brian Gutiérrez, Maren Haile-Selassie, Chris Mueller, Federico Navarro and Sergio Oregel Jr.

FWD: Tom Barlow, Hugo Cuypers, Georgios Koutsias, and Missael Rodríguez.

Out of contract: Spencer Richey, Rafael Czichos, Ariel Lassiter, Fabian Herbers, and Wyatt Omsberg (negotiating with Fire).

Option declined: Javier Casas (negotiating with Fire)

Loan-purchase option declined: Allan Arigoni

It should be noted that just because a player was brought back or is under contract for 2025 doesn’t mean they will make the final roster in February. There’s an entire offseason and a transfer window for Berhalter and company to make this roster look different than the side that finished bottom of the Eastern Conference in 2024.

Herbers was acquired by the Fire in 2018 and became a mainstay in the roster while playing a handful of positions on the pitch. He donned the captain’s armband a handful of times and departed having made 160 MLS appearances with Chicago.

Czichos joined the Fire in 2022 and immediately took a leadership role, wearing the captain’s armband until the 2024 season. The center-back contributed nine goals in 91 MLS appearances, including five goals in his first year in Chicago.

Richey joined the Fire ahead of the 2022 season and served as the club’s primary backup to young goalkeepers Gabriel Slonina and Chris Brady, a role he embraced.

Lassiter departs the club having made seven appearances.

The club will make determinations on the futures of Victor Bezerra and Laurence Wootton, who are both on loan in the USL Championship, “at a later date.”