Opening remarks from Fire President/CEO John Guppy:
"Today's announcement is the first of many very exciting developments for Chicago soccer fans this year. There is no doubt that this is a landmark year for our sport. In a World Cup year and with the opening of the Bridgeview Stadium, 2006 is clearly the year of soccer in Chicago. Fans of our game, the media and the public I'm sure will look back at this time next year and realize how significant 2006 has been for the sport of soccer in Chicago.
"One of the things we certainly hope people will look back on is the Chicago Fire once again raising a trophy. We were clearly disappointed last year not to succeed in capturing the MLS Cup, and we're determined to do everything we can to achieve that goal in 2006, and we believe the acquisition of Diego is an important step towards us accomplishing that goal. On behalf of our entire organization and the Fire fans, I'd like to welcome Diego back to Chicago and back to the Chicago Fire."
Opening remarks from Fire Head Coach Dave Sarachan:
"Obviously I didn't hold a grudge against Diego for beating us in the Open Cup Final in 2004! We're thrilled to welcome Diego back to the Chicago Fire family. In getting Diego back, we're getting a known quantity. He's a competitor and a versatile player that will provide us with a number of positional options this year.
"Not most importantly, but still very importantly, he's going to bring us additional experience in leadership both on and off the field. He's a player that, quite frankly, knows what it takes to win. He's been a part of championship teams, and that's so critical when you're building your roster. We think we've got a lot of talented players currently on our roster, and certainly Diego is going to be a great addition to it along with him being a first-class person, so we're very excited to have Diego join us."
Opening comments from new Fire midfielder Diego Gutierrez:
"First of all, I'd like to thank both John and Dave for such nice words and their welcome. When they say that they are welcoming someone to the Fire family, I truly believe that is not just a figure of speech. From my experience in Chicago and what I was able to deliver to the club for four years, it really can be identified as a family. From the very top to the bottom, from the President all the way to the last roster guy to the equipment manager and so on, you can really see how people care about each other and that has led to the success the club has had.
"I'm truly honored to be back with the team. I think I'm stepping into a situation that I'm very blessed to be in. This a very competitive, very talented group of players that have certainly good leadership with Dave and John, and we have an unbelievable opportunity to bring silverware back to Chicago. That's obviously what every player looks forward to doing, raising a trophy and to put championships under their belt. I'm very enthusiastic about this year and am really looking forward to it. Hopefully I can be a big part of this club and help the Fire secure more trophies.
Gutierrez on what he missed most about Chicago:
"I missed everything about it. From the minute we left Chicago, it was always the idea for myself and my family to come back and settle there. It's a dynamic place, it's a multi-cultural place, and it's a place of opportunity. I feel there's no better place to play soccer. I truly believe that the fans in Chicago are not only the best fans, but also the most passionate, and I'm sure that will be shown coming up here in Bridgeview.
"I missed everything about it. There's so many guys on the team that I'm obviously familiar with. I have a lot of good friends, with Chris [Armas] and C.J. [Brown] and Zach [Thornton] and other guys that I was able to share so many years with. I missed the whole thing, to be honest."
Gutierrez on leaving his other hometown of Kansas City:
"At this stage of my career, I'm probably looking for one last push, looking to give the best of my final years to Chicago and finish my career here, hopefully. Ideally I'd like to play three or four more years here and hopefully put three or four more championships under our belt. To be honest, it was one of those situations where I felt, professionally, change was needed for me - a change of scenery, a new challenge, a new adventure, and what a better place than Chicago. I've been in love with the city ever since I've stepped foot in it and I've always been a huge fan of the organization. I've always felt it is the best organization in Major League Soccer and the results and the championships reflect that."
Sarachan on where Gutierrez fits into the Fire line-up:
"Every team has different needs, and as I said before, Diego's a guy that has such experience that he can play in a number of different positions. If we choose to play four in the back, he can play out on the left; he can play anywhere on the left, really. I know he and Chris [Armas] partnered up in the center of the field for many games and he did quite well there. And even in a three-back (formation), he's played centrally. He's a guy that can fill a lot of different roles, so I don't have one specific spot where I'm going to say here's where Diego's playing. When we assemble and piece our team together this year a lot of that will become clearer, but it's always a nice bonus to have a guy that is multi-dimensional, and I would say Diego's that type of guy."
Sarachan on how the trade came about:
"There's always a lot of talk in the off-season between general managers. I know John [Guppy] had conversations with a number of teams, and I've had conversations with a number of teams. And through those conversations there's a back and forth of who might teams be interested in, then you follow that up and Diego's name came up with a number of guys. In looking at a number of different rosters, this was an opportunity that we felt we couldn't pass up."
Sarachan on the Fire's strategy in the upcoming MLS SuperDraft:
"As I said earlier with Diego, he's a known quantity. In the draft, you're dealing with an unknown quantity, but we've certainly done our homework. We think there are a number of good young players available like there have been in past drafts, but until you really assemble and get to see them over a few days, you don't have as clear a picture. But from the preliminary list, in our positions draft-wise with the 10th, 14th and 20th picks, we're going to yield some good players this year. It's a little all over the map you know, there are some good young midfielders and defenders, but it seems there's a fair amount more forwards in this draft. I don't have one specific area where I'm going to say we're only going to draft that position. We are going into this thinking the best available player for what makes sense for us."
Sarachan on whether or not today's trade will be the first of more moves:
"We're always looking as a team and an organization to improve and do better. And as good as I think our roster was in 2005 and where we ended, and beginning now with the addition of Diego, I still believe we have as talented a roster as there is. But you're always going to look to improve. This week and next week, when all the head coaches and general managers are assembled through the combine and the draft, there will be a lot of discussions that go back and forth. If we feel there's an opportunity to upgrade our roster, we'll certainly take advantage of that. It will kind of develop as we go."
