Bastian Schweinsteiger Re-Signs With Chicago Fire for Another Season

Bastian Schweinsteiger is coming back for another season with the Chicago Fire.

Bastian Schweinsteiger is coming back for another season with the Chicago Fire.

The 34-year-old German veteran has re-signed for a third year with the Fire, the club announced on Wednesday. After making the playoffs in Schweinsteiger's first season, the Fire limped through his second, finishing 10th in the 11-team Eastern Conference with just 32 points from 34 games–a 23-point regression from the season before.

Schweinsteiger has seven goals and 12 assists in his two years in the league after a decorated run with Bayern Munich, brief stint with Manchester United and an international career that included a World Cup triumph in 2014.

“Let’s raise a trophy. I believe in this club and I believe that we can be champions,” Schweinsteiger said in a statement. “This American journey has been very special for me and my family. I love being a part of the Chicago Fire and we appreciate how the city has embraced us with open arms."

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Schweinsteiger will remain a Designated Player on the Fire's roster with his new deal, according to the club's announcement. According to MLS Players Association documents, Schweinsteiger was on a $6.1 million deal last season, making him the fourth-highest-paid player in the league behind Sebastian Giovinco, Michael Bradley and Carlos Vela.

“In a lot of ways Basti has come to embody our club, the prototypical Fire player and the spirit of Chicago: industrious, intelligent, enthusiastic, talented and world-class,” Fire president and general manager Nelson Rodriguez said. “His return demonstrates our continuing effort to build a championship program, both on and off the field.”