The former U.S. manager spoke of playoff ambitions for the Fire, vows to work with 'top coach' Pochettino
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Berhalter introduced in opening Fire presserTouched on USMNT exit and Pochettino's arrivalSays playoffs minimum expectation for this seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?
Recently appointed Chicago Fire director of football and manager Gregg Berhalter is both "motivated" and "hungry" to move on from his exit from the U.S. national team as he prepares for his second turn on the sidelines in Major League Soccer.
"We didn't perform well in Copa América, and when you don't perform well at a high level, there's consequences. I take full responsibility for that, but it still hurts," said Berhalter, who was fired after the USMNT failed to get out of the group stage of the 2024 Copa. "Then from there you become motivated. 'All right, now I want the next opportunity.' You know, you get hungry again. During that period when I got hungry, there's a number of opportunities that I was looking at. I kept coming back to Chicago and the potential and the alignment…So I thought it was a great opportunity for myself and my family.”
Berhalter, 51, emphasized Chicago's big market status, the ambition of owner Joe Mansueto and the Endeavor Health Performance Center as selling points.
"This market, this club, this team has a ton of potential, and that's what makes it exciting," he said as he was officially introduced by the Fire Thursday. "When I think about the new training facility coming online, it's probably one of the top one or two or three in Major League Soccer, comparable to top Europe even facilities and an amazing facility to welcome players into."
Berhalter also stressed the untapped potential for the team.
"The market of Chicago, the fan base here," he said. "I really see this opportunity as a sleeping giant, and we're going to give everything we have to make this team, to return this team to the top of Major League Soccer."
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Chicago is currently bottom of the Eastern Conference heading into the MLS's Decision Day. The team is hoping to end a playoff drought that extends back to 2017 – since 2010, in fact, the club has only made the playoffs one other time, in 2012.
Berhalter's arrival adds credibility to an organization that badly needs it, and the former U.S. boss has big expectations for the 2025 season, saying the objective is to make the playoffs.
"I think that is a minimum requirement in MLS, and that's what we're striving for next year," he said. "Really it's just about being a consistent top performer throughout the years, but it needs to start with an identity and then actually making that first step.”
Berhalter said fans should to expect to see a consistent and established playing style, which will help the team reach that goal.
"We want to be a player-first club," he said. "We want to be a club that puts the player in the center of everything, and each department works around the player to help maximize their potential."
Berhalter, as a part of his role as director, also expects to be active in improving the roster through recruitment.
"In terms of recruitment, we think there's an opportunity this offseason to bring in some high-quality players, to bring in players that can perform in the top five percent of the league," he said. "Real game-changer type players, and we want to do that. We have the ability to affect the roster in a positive way, and it starts with next season. We're not saying this is a five-year build. We want to be successful in year one.”
Getty ImagesBERHALTER'S THOUGHTS ON POCHETTINO
Berhalter said he has a standing relationship with his successor at U.S. Soccer, Mauricio Pochettino. Despite the nature of his own exit, Berhalter hopes to work with the Argentine — especially as there could be potential USMNT players on his roster.
“Yeah, I already have a relationship with him," Berhalter said. "He's a great guy. I think he's a great hire for U.S. Soccer, top coach, coached at the top level, knows what pressure is like, knows how to perform in pressure situations. So I think it's a really good hire.
"I can assure you that there will be a relationship, and we will be able to count on each other, both us supplying him players and hopefully getting feedback from him also.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Berhalter did not deny he was in the running for Club America job, but acknowledged his ties to the Chicago region, where he was based for the duration of his time with the USMNT, was a selling point in joining the Fire.
He did admit he could consider a move into coaching in Europe in the future.
"Europe has always been an ambition of mine, and it's not binary," he said. "Just because I came here doesn't mean there's never going to be an opportunity in Europe, but right now this is the best opportunity for me and my family."
