Bastian Schweinsteiger Announces His Retirement
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The Chicago Fire are returning to Soldier Field next season, but Bastian Schweinsteiger won't be joining them.
The German great announced his retirement on Tuesday, putting an end to a trophy-filled career for both club and country. A key cog on Germany's 2014 World Cup championship team, Schweinsteiger played the last three years of his career in MLS with Chicago. He won eight Bundesliga titles, seven DFB Pokal trophies and a Champions League title with Bayern Munich before winning an FA Cup with Manchester United prior to his arrival in the Windy City.
For Germany, he appeared in three World Cups and four European Championships and will go down as one of Die Mannschaft's greatest players of all time.
"Basti has meant so much to our club," new Fire owner and chairman Joe Mansueto said in a statement. "It was an absolute pleasure to watch him play. His soccer IQ is so elite, you can see that he's three steps ahead at every turn. He's a leader, a great teammate and a generational player who put Chicago Fire on the world map. I'd like to say, on behalf of the club: Danke, Basti."
Schweinsteiger scored eight goals and had 15 assists in his three years with the Fire, which included a pair of MLS All-Star nods. He spent time in the midfield and central defense for Chicago, which will have a sizable hole to fill–but more financial freedom to do so. According to the most recent MLS Players Association figures, Schweinsteiger was the fifth-highest-paid player in the league in 2019, making $5.6 million.
“It was a great pleasure and experience working with Basti during the last three years, and we’re honored that we accompanied him in his last adventure as a fútbol player," said Fire manager Veljko Paunovic, who added that Schweinsteiger announced his decision to the club in the locker room following Sunday's season-ending win over Orlando City.
