Blanco To Leave Fire After 2009

If the Chicago Fire are most likely to win a championship it would be this year. Reason being is due to their star midfielder and designated player Cuauhtemoc Blanco saying this will be his last year with the club, according to the Chicago Tribune.

“I’m leaving this year,” Blanco said. “My contract will be done, and I will leave happy because I have great teammates. It’s a decision I made. I’m going to look for other options.”

“I want to return to Mexico or see offers [in MLS] from another team, but this is my last year with the Fire,” said Blanco, who didn’t specify his reasons for wanting to leave. “I think I’ve made an impact here. But when this season ends, I’ll look for other options.”

Leaving happy is one thing but telling everyone at a season kick off luncheon is another. Kind of a shocker really if you ask me that he announced it this way. I will say however that I kind of thought he would leave after this season to explore other options or even retire.

I think more will come out of this in the comming weeks and probably even be a decent sized distraction for the Windy City club.

Like him or not, he has been good to the league since his arrival. He has been a positive impact on the field for the Fire and in the stands everywhere he goes. If I were the league’s front office I would be trying to figure out a way to either get another MLS club in line to get him (if he is actually interested) or find the next best thing out of Mexico to have the same impact as Blanco.

What do you all make of this news? Shocked by it at all?