Chicago Fire dismiss head coach Ezra Hendrickson as MLS club turns to Frank Klopas for rest of 2023 season

• Hendrickson out as Fire coach
• Klopas steps in for third stint
• Fire struggling with late goals

WHAT HAPPENED? The Fire made the call to dismiss Hendrickson following this past weekend's 3-0 battering at the hands of Nashville SC. Hendrickson had been in charge of the Fire since last season, which saw the club miss the playoffs for the 10th time in the last 11 campaigns.

Through 10 games this season, the Fire sit second-to-last in the East, with 11 points in total. More concerning, though, are the points dropped, with the Fire dropping six points from winning positions, having done so by conceding late goals in three of their last four MLS games.

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AND WHAT'S MORE: Hendrickson and the Fire had been in the news recently for controversially blocking young stars Brian Gutierrez and Chris Brady from participating in the U20 World Cup.

WHAT THEY SAID: “This was a difficult decision, but after careful consideration, we felt that a change was necessary at this time as we work toward our goal of advancing to the playoffs and competing for trophies,” said Chicago Fire Sporting Director Georg Heitz in a statement. “We’d like to thank Ezra and Junior for their efforts during the past two seasons, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Klopas will now take charge for a third term, having also played for the club in 1998-99. He originally took charge from 2011-13 before stepping down and was subsequently named head coach of the then-Montreal Impact. He departed the Canadian side after two seasons before resurfacing again with the Fire six years later in 2020 as an assistant.

He served as interim coach in 2021 following the dismissal of Raphael Wicky, and will now be asked to step in once again as the Fire look to turn their fortunes around in 2023.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR THE FIRE? Klopas' first match in charge will be a U.S. Open Cup round of 32 match against St. Louis City SC before the same two teams face off in MLS play on Saturday.

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