As announced on Saturday, Chicago Fire FC acquired forward Robert Berić from France's AS St. Etienne as a Designated Player to help lead the attack into 2020.
Berić, 28, has enjoyed lengthy European club career since debuting as a professional in 2008, with stops in Slovenia, Austria, and France as well as 24 appearances for the Slovenian Men's National Team. Get familiar with some of the moments, matches and teammates that have helped carve Berić's path to Chicago with five fast facts on the Fire's newest signing below:
Goal Rate
From his professional beginnings in the Slovenian first division in 2008 through his time spent in the Austrian Bundesliga and on to France with AS St. Etienne, Berić has scored 130 career goals across 376 professional appearances in all competitions (according to Transfermarkt). He's also added two goals in 24 appearances for the Slovenian national team. In all, Berić has averaged 0.47 goals scored per 90 minutes played in his career, with a 0.49 goals/90 average for St. Etienne.
To The Rescue
On May 18, 2019, Berić was the hero for his St. Etienne side in a Ligue 1 contest against OGC Nice. Needing a win to secure a top-four finish and qualification for the 2019/20 UEFA Europa League, the 28-year-old scored twice to help down Nice 3-0 at home. Berić scored nine goals in 23 appearances over the course of the season for St. Etienne, helping lift them to the top four in Ligue 1 for just the third time in three decades.
Golden Shoe
Berić joined Rapid Vienna ahead of the 2014/15 season from fellow Austrian Bundesliga side Sturm Graz. In his first year in Vienna, Berić bagged 27 goals and added six assists in 33 appearances, a haul that placed him among Europe's goal-scoring elite for the campaign. Berić finished in 11th place in the race for the European Golden Shoe award that season, level with current Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette (then playing for Olympique Lyon in France's Ligue 1). Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Sergio Aguero finished in spots one through three.
Road to Euro
Berić featured six times for his native Slovenia during UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying in 2019. Slovenia was drawn into qualifying Group G, which also included Przemysław Frankowski's Poland. While Frankowski additionally appeared six times in qualifying, Berić and his new teammate didn't cross paths on the pitch in either of the two matches played between the nations. Poland would go on to win the group and qualify for this Summer's tournament, while Slovenia finished fourth.
Paths Crossed
Over the course of his career, Berić has suited up alongside several teammates notable to U.S.-based fans of the beautiful game. While at St. Etienne, he played with one-time U.S. youth international and Borussia Dortmund standout Neven Subotic as well as former Atlanta United defender (and brother of Paul) Florentin Pogba. Berić is familiar with a pair of Houston Dynamo defenders, having played with Aljaž "Kiki" Struna at the national team level as well as goalkeeper Marko Marić - who will also be embarking on his first season in Major League Soccer. At the outset of his career, Berić came up alongside current New England Revolution defender Antonio Mlinar Delemea on both the Slovenian Under-21 National Team as well as at Slovenian club NK Interblock.
