Robert Beric opens up about why he joined the Chicago Fire

After spending four-and-a-half years at Saint-Etienne, Robert Beric knew it was probably time for a change. He just didn’t know what that change would look like, yet.

That’s when he and his agent got a call from a couple of guys in America with Swiss accents—new Chicago Fire head coach Raphael Wicky, and Sporting Director Georg Heitz.

“I was searching for something new, you know,” Beric told Hot Time in Old Town. “After speaking with the coach, and his vision of the new project and everything, it was easier to decide to come here.”

So far, the Slovenian international likes what he sees, both with the city, and with the club.

“As a city, amazing. The high buildings and everything, it’s difficult to find something like this in Europe. So I’m like, with one word, it’s amazing,” Beric said. “The club is really well organized. You have everything here. I think you have all the conditions to progress in football.”

Beric immediately comes across as friendly and open, until it’s time to talk about himself. He is—especially for a forward—very humble. He’s kind of the anti-Zlatan, in that regard.

“This is really always difficult to say for yourself what kind of player you are, but I don’t like to talk about this,” he said. “But, I can guarantee you I will give 100-percent every game. I leave everything I can on the pitch. This is something you can expect from me. And, hopefully I will score a lot of goals. This is my job, of course.”

Beric wasn’t thrilled about talking about what he can do on the pitch, but Wicky said fans can expect a very technically strong, classic forward.

“Robert is a goal scorer,” Wicky said. “He’s very clean, and very good in and around the box. He’s a typical number nine and can hold the ball. He has a good athletic profile, and he’s a hard worker for the team.”

The team said Beric was a trooper during his Malort-drinking player announcement video last week. But, it’s safe to say he hasn’t developed a taste for the stuff.

“It was really, really strange,” Beric said, laughing.