Chicago Fire FC have interviewed former FC Basel sporting director Georg Heitz for the same position, though have not made a hire, a source confirms to MLSsoccer.com. The news was first reported by Guillermo Rivera.
In the latest update, Sam Stejskal of The Athletic reported on Wednesday the deal is being finalized.
Heitz has been without a club since the summer of 2017 when he left Basel. He originally took over at Basel in 2008 and won eight league titles with the club. The club has not won a league title since he left. The 49-year-old Switzerland native previously worked for FIFA.
During his time running the Swiss club, Basel featured the likes of Mohamed Salah, Ivan Rakitic, Xherdan Shaqiri, Yann Sommer and other stars who moved onto other European clubs.
The Fire are working to hire a new sporting director amid a winter of change for the club. The Fire confirmed the team will return to Soldier Field in 2020, had a majority ownership change as well as a rebranding.
On the technical side, the club have three Designated Player slots open as well as a vacancy at head coach. Whoever the club hire as sporting director will have a number of key decisions to make.
Earlier this offseason, the Fire signed former Real Madrid midfielder Alvaro Medran and traded Dax McCarty to Nashville SC, among other moves.
