Frank Klopas
Encyclopedia
Fotios "Frank" Klopas (born September 1, 1966 in Prosimna
, Greece
) is a retired Greek-American soccer forward
and midfielder
. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire. Known as "Kid Klopas", he was also formerly a color commentator
for Comcast SportsNet
Chicago for Fire
television broadcasts.
, which he led to the Chicago Public League championship his senior year.
of the North American Soccer League
straight out of high school, but an injury led to him missing the team's final outdoor season. Klopas would play for the indoor
Sting in the MISL
for four seasons. He earned second team All Star honors during the 1986-1987 season. In 1988, Klopas moved to Greece to play with AEK Athens FC
. He played four seasons with the team. However, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in 1991. That injury and a subsequent infection hindered his playing for nearly two years. In 1992, Klopas signed a contract with the U.S. Soccer Federation to play full time for the United States men's national soccer team
. After the 1994 FIFA World Cup
, Klopas returned to Greece and signed with Apollon Athens in 1994 for the remainder of the 1994-1995 season, as well as the 1995-1996 season. He debuted with Apollon on January 7, 1995 against his former Greek club, AEK Athens FC
. In 1996, Major League Soccer
began developing teams for its inaugural season. In order to ensure an equitable distribution of talent to each team, MLS allocated known players to each team. MLS allocated
Klopas to the Kansas City Wizards
. Klopas would spend two years with the club, and was then dealt to the expansion Chicago Fire. He would play two years for Chicago before retiring, helping them to the MLS Cup
in 1998 and the U.S. Open Cup to complete "The Double
." In four years in MLS, Klopas scored 13 goals and added 16 assists. He had six goals and five assists in 40 games—24 starts—for the Fire, including both goals in a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Mutiny
in the Fire's first ever game at Soldier Field
on April 4, 1998. Klopas' most notable goal for the Fire came in Golden Goal
overtime of a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew
in the U.S. Open Cup Final on Oct. 30, 1998, at Soldier Field.
On January 25, 2000, Klopas announced his retirement from playing professional soccer. On June 5, 2004, the Fire inducted Klopas into the team's "Ring of Fire," which celebrates outstanding players and contributors to the organization. The team inducts one person a year, who is no longer affiliated with the club. Klopas is joined in the Ring of Fire by former players Peter Nowak and Lubos Kubik
and former general manager Peter Wilt
. He was inducted into the Illinois Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005.
in 1987 and scored 12 goals in 39 international appearances. He played for his country at the 1988 Olympics
. In 1994, he had surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament, but returned in time for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
. At the 1995 Copa América he scored the first goal of the match in a 3:0 shocker over Argentina
and a game-winning goal in the penalty shootouts against Mexico
in the quarterfinals.
's expansion franchise Chicago Storm
. He led the team to a playoff berth in its second season, but resigned on July 24, 2006. In January 2008, Klopas was named the first Technical Director for the Chicago Fire. On May 30, 2011, the Fire parted ways with head coach Carlos De Los Cobos
, and Klopas took over as interim head coach. On June 12, 2011 he earned his first MLS win as head coach in a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew. The Fire finished the season 8-5-10 under Klopas, just missing the playoffs.
On November 3, 2011 the Chicago Fire announced Frank would become the new head coach for the 2012 season.
Frank Klopas is also a technical director of a youth soccer club in Chicago called F.C. Drive.
AEK
Chicago Fire
Prosimna
Prosymna is a village located in the municipal unit of Mykines, Argolis, Greece. Frank Klopas was born here....
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
) is a retired Greek-American soccer forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
and midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire. Known as "Kid Klopas", he was also formerly a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for Comcast SportsNet
Comcast SportsNet
Comcast SportsNet is a group of regional sports networks in the United States primarily owned by the Comcast cable television company....
Chicago for Fire
Chicago Fire (soccer)
Chicago Fire Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top soccer league in the United States and Canada...
television broadcasts.
Youth
Klopas emigrated to the United States when he was 8 years old and received U.S. citizenship on his 18th birthday. He and his family settled in Chicago, where he attended and played boys soccer, at Mather High SchoolStephen Tyng Mather High School
Stephen Tyng Mather High School is a public secondary school located in the West Ridge neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Opened in 1959, it is named in honor of Stephen Mather, an industrialist and conservationist who became the first director of the National Park Service .Mather is a...
, which he led to the Chicago Public League championship his senior year.
Professional
In 1983, he signed with the Chicago StingChicago Sting
The Chicago Sting was an American professional soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from in the 1982-83 season and again from 1984 to 1988...
of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
straight out of high school, but an injury led to him missing the team's final outdoor season. Klopas would play for the indoor
Indoor soccer
Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...
Sting in the MISL
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
for four seasons. He earned second team All Star honors during the 1986-1987 season. In 1988, Klopas moved to Greece to play with AEK Athens FC
AEK Athens FC
AEK Athens F.C. , the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Athens, Greece. Outside Greece, the club is also known as AEK Athens, however, the word Athens is not part of the club's official title.Established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees...
. He played four seasons with the team. However, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in 1991. That injury and a subsequent infection hindered his playing for nearly two years. In 1992, Klopas signed a contract with the U.S. Soccer Federation to play full time for the United States men's national soccer team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. After the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, Klopas returned to Greece and signed with Apollon Athens in 1994 for the remainder of the 1994-1995 season, as well as the 1995-1996 season. He debuted with Apollon on January 7, 1995 against his former Greek club, AEK Athens FC
AEK Athens FC
AEK Athens F.C. , the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Athens, Greece. Outside Greece, the club is also known as AEK Athens, however, the word Athens is not part of the club's official title.Established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees...
. In 1996, Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
began developing teams for its inaugural season. In order to ensure an equitable distribution of talent to each team, MLS allocated known players to each team. MLS allocated
1996 MLS Inaugural Allocations
The Major League Soccer Inaugural Allocations were signed by the league in 1996 and distributed to the ten initial teams prior to the beginning of the first MLS season...
Klopas to the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
. Klopas would spend two years with the club, and was then dealt to the expansion Chicago Fire. He would play two years for Chicago before retiring, helping them to the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
in 1998 and the U.S. Open Cup to complete "The Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
." In four years in MLS, Klopas scored 13 goals and added 16 assists. He had six goals and five assists in 40 games—24 starts—for the Fire, including both goals in a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny
The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a charter franchise of Major League Soccer active from 1996 - 2001. They initially played in Tampa Stadium and were immediately successful, winning the first MLS Supporters' Shield behind MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama and high-scoring forward Roy Lassiter, whose 27 goals in...
in the Fire's first ever game at Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
on April 4, 1998. Klopas' most notable goal for the Fire came in Golden Goal
Golden goal
The golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
overtime of a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
in the U.S. Open Cup Final on Oct. 30, 1998, at Soldier Field.
On January 25, 2000, Klopas announced his retirement from playing professional soccer. On June 5, 2004, the Fire inducted Klopas into the team's "Ring of Fire," which celebrates outstanding players and contributors to the organization. The team inducts one person a year, who is no longer affiliated with the club. Klopas is joined in the Ring of Fire by former players Peter Nowak and Lubos Kubik
Luboš Kubík
Luboš Kubík is a Czech former professional footballer and former manager of Torquay United, who played sweeper for the Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic national teams, winning 56 caps in total, and a number of notable clubs...
and former general manager Peter Wilt
Peter Wilt
Peter Wilt , is a soccer executive who was the first President and General Manager of the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer, led an effort to bring an expansion MLS franchise to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and maintains strong connection to the sport of soccer in the Midwest, Chicago in particular...
. He was inducted into the Illinois Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005.
National team
Klopas made his debut for the U.S. national teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
in 1987 and scored 12 goals in 39 international appearances. He played for his country at the 1988 Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
. In 1994, he had surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament, but returned in time for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. At the 1995 Copa América he scored the first goal of the match in a 3:0 shocker over Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
and a game-winning goal in the penalty shootouts against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
in the quarterfinals.
Coach
In 2000, the Chicago Fire hired Klopas as the team's strength and conditioning trainer. After the 2000 MLS season, he resigned due to personal reasons. On June 2, 2004, Klopas was named the head coach and general manager of MISLMajor Indoor Soccer League (2001–2008)
The Major Indoor Soccer League was the top professional indoor soccer league in the USA. The league was a member of both the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA. The MISL had replaced the NPSL which folded in 2001. According to MISL.net, the league has ceased operations as of May 31, 2008...
's expansion franchise Chicago Storm
Chicago Storm
The Chicago Storm is a team in the Ultimate Soccer League that began play in the 2004-2005 season as a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League.-History:The Storm played home games during its first two seasons at the UIC Pavilion on the west side of Chicago...
. He led the team to a playoff berth in its second season, but resigned on July 24, 2006. In January 2008, Klopas was named the first Technical Director for the Chicago Fire. On May 30, 2011, the Fire parted ways with head coach Carlos De Los Cobos
Carlos de los Cobos
Carlos de los Cobos Martínez is a Mexican former football player. He last coached the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-Playing career:...
, and Klopas took over as interim head coach. On June 12, 2011 he earned his first MLS win as head coach in a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew. The Fire finished the season 8-5-10 under Klopas, just missing the playoffs.
On November 3, 2011 the Chicago Fire announced Frank would become the new head coach for the 2012 season.
Frank Klopas is also a technical director of a youth soccer club in Chicago called F.C. Drive.
Honors
Chicago StingChicago Sting
The Chicago Sting was an American professional soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from in the 1982-83 season and again from 1984 to 1988...
- NASL ChampionshipNorth American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
: 19841984 NASL SeasonThe 1984 NASL season was the 72nd season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 17th with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, as well as the 17th and final season of the North American Soccer League...
AEK
AEK Athens FC
AEK Athens F.C. , the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Athens, Greece. Outside Greece, the club is also known as AEK Athens, however, the word Athens is not part of the club's official title.Established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees...
- Greek ChampionshipSuper League GreeceThe Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
: 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994 - Greek Super CupGreek Super Cup-Official edition:-External links:*...
: 1989 - Greek League Cup: 1990
Chicago Fire
- MLS CupMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
: 1998 - U.S. Open Cup: 19981998 U.S. Open Cup-Quarterfinals:-------------Semifinals:-----Final:-Top scorers:-See also:* United States Soccer Federation* Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup* Major League Soccer* United Soccer Leagues* USASA* National Premier Soccer League...