Rafael Czichos

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS (CHICAGO FIRE):

• The Fire acquired defender Rafael Czichos on Jan. 2, 2023 from Bundesliga side FC Köln.
• Since joining the Fire, Czichos has appeared in 75 games (70 starts) for the Club, scoring five goals and two assists.
• In 2022, Czichos was awarded with the Club’s “Defender of the Year” award. He won the award in his first season with Chicago Fire FC.
• He served as Team Captain for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

• Prior to joining the Fire, Czichos spent four seasons as a mainstay along the backline for FC Köln, where he made 111 appearances across all competitions in Germany’s first and second divisions.
• At the German Bundesliga level, Czichos tallied 74 starts for Köln.
• Prior to his transfer to Köln, Czichos spent three seasons with German side Holstein Kiel (2015-18), where he made 104 appearances and served as team captain.
• Most notably, the defender made 37 appearances (37 starts) in the 2016-17 3. Liga season and captained Holstein Kiel to a second-place finish and promotion to the 2. Bundesliga for the first time since 1981.

2023 (CHICAGO FIRE): Served as the captain for Chicago Fire FC in his second season with the Club. As captain, Czichos appeared in a career high 31 matches (27 starts) in 2023. In those 31 appearances, Czichos recorded two goals with his first coming from a penalty in the 3-3 draw against FC Cincinnati on March 18, 2023.

2022 (CHICAGO FIRE): Played 90 minutes in the 3-2 win over FC Cincinnati on Oct. 1 at TQL Stadium...Played 90 minutes in the 3-2 loss to Charlotte FC on Sept. 17 at Soldier Field...Played 90 minutes in the 3-1 win against Inter Miami CF on Sept. 10 at SeatGeek Stadium...Played 90 minutes in the scoreless tie with the Columbus Crew on Sept. 3 at Lower.com Field...Played 90 minutes in the 2-0 loss against CF Montreal on Aug. 27 at Soldier Field...Played 90 minutes in the 2-0 loss against NYCFC on Aug. 21 at SeatGeek Stadium...Played 90 minutes in the 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union on Aug. 13 at Subaru Park...Played 90 minutes in the 0-0 tie with Atlanta United on July 30 at Soldier Field...Played 90 minutes and scored his third goal of the season in the 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC on July 23 at BC Place...Played 90 minutes and scored his second MLS goal for the Fire in the 1-0 win against Seattle Sounders on July 16 at Soldier Field… Played 90 minutes in the 2-0 win against Toronto FC on July 13 at Soldier Field...Played 90 minutes and scored his first MLS goal in Fire colors in the 3-2 loss to the Columbus Crew on July 9 at Soldier Field...Played 90 minutes in the 2-1 loss against the San Jose Earthquakes on July 3 at PayPal Park...Played 90 minutes in the 1-0 win against the Philadelphia Union on June 29 at Soldier Field...Played 90 minutes in the 2-0 loss against the Houston Dynamo on June 25 at PNC Stadium...Started and played 90 minutes in the 1-0 win against D.C. United on June 18 at Soldier Field...Played 90 minutes in the 3-2 loss against Toronto FC on May 28 at BMO Field...Played 90 minutes in the 2-1 loss against FC Cincinnati on May 14 at Soldier Field...Started and was sent off in the 83rd minute of the 2-1 loss against New York Red Bulls on April 30 at Soldier Field...Played 90 minutes in the 3-0 loss against Minnesota United on April 23 at Allianz Field...Was a last-minute addition to the starting lineup as a replacement for an injured Carlos Terán and played 90 minutes in the 2-2 draw (4-5 loss in penalty shootout) against Union Omaha in the third round of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on April 19 at Soldier Field...Returned to the starting lineup and played 90 minutes in the 0-0 tie against the LA Galaxy on April 16 at Soldier Field...Played the full 90 minutes in the 3-1 win against Sporting Kansas City on March 19 at Soldier Field...Captained the team to its third straight shutout in the 2-0 win against D.C. United on March 12 at Audi Field...Was named Heineken Man of the Match after leading the team to a second-straight shutout as captain in the 0-0 tie with Orlando City SC on March 5 at Soldier Field...Made his MLS debut wearing the captain’s armband and guiding the defense to a shutout in the 0-0 tie with Inter Miami CF on Feb. 26 at DRV PNK Stadium....Chicago Fire FC acquired center back Rafael Czichos from German Bundesliga side, FC Köln. Prior to his transfer to Köln, Czichos spent three seasons with Holstein Kiel (2015-18), where he made 104 appearances and served as team captain. Most notably, the defender made 37 appearances (37 starts) in the 2016-17 3. Liga season and captained Holstein Kiel to a second-place finish and promotion to the 2. Bundesliga for the first time since 1981. Born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Czichos moved to Germany at a young age and began his professional career with TSV Ottersberg in July 2008. Czichos has also featured for German clubs VFL Wolfsburg II (2010-2012) and Rot-Weiß Erfurt (2012-2015).