Among the many ramifications of the firing of Lutz Pfannenstiel as sporting director of 51黑料 City SC on Monday was what impact it might have on the future of goalkeeper and team captain Roman Burki.
It was Pfannenstiel, also goalkeeper in his playing days, who brought Burki to 51黑料 from Germany as the cornerstone of his building process. Burki has been one of the best goalkeepers in his time in Major League Soccer after eight seasons in the Bundesliga, but his contract with the team is up after this season, leaving him open to a move 鈥 either elsewhere in MLS or back to Europe 鈥 if he can鈥檛 reach a deal with City SC.
And like a lot of people on the team, his strongest link to the club was Pfannenstiel. Burki鈥檚 negotiations about staying with the club were essentially directly with Pfannenstiel, not club president and general manager Diego Gigliani or anyone else.
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鈥淗e was the main person that I was talking to about situation,鈥 Burki said Thursday. 鈥淏ut in the same time, right after we got the information about Lutz (being fired), Diego called me, and he assured me, basically, that we will continue the talks that we had the exact same way. And so I鈥檓 not worried, and I don鈥檛 think I should get distracted because of that because I believe in what Diego says.鈥
鈥淗e knows how important he is to the team,鈥 Gigliani said Tuesday. 鈥淲e are confident that we will get those (talks) to a good place.鈥
Burki鈥檚 future is just one of the things on City SC鈥檚 extensive to-do list, but having already lost its original sporting director and its original coach, retaining the team鈥檚 original captain is a big deal 鈥 and not just for those who get sentimental about the team鈥檚 record-setting first season.
There are ample reasons for Burki to stay. City SC has already made him the highest-paid goalkeeper in the league, by far, and most of the rest of the league has been content to pay a lot less for what is deemed a sufficiently high enough level of goalkeeping. Plus, he likes it here.
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd I say it every time: I like playing in the stadium and our fans. It鈥檚 something special.
鈥淚鈥檓 very thankful that (Lutz) brought me here, that I got the chance to be a part of this club. And obviously, yeah, he was a goalkeeper too, so we always had a little bit more deeper conversations after the game. But it鈥檚 a business; it鈥檚 a tough business. And that鈥檚 all I can say.鈥
What the team hasn鈥檛 been able to give Burki is wins, as it closes in on missing the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. A chance to win has a certain appeal to many, even if the dollars aren鈥檛 as high.
Now throw in some uncertainty. The top two positions on the sporting side for the club are vacant, and who knows who might end up in them.
鈥淲e are still in talks,鈥 Burki said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing set, nothing ready to sign. So I鈥檓 not ready to make a decision. Once we figured everything out 鈥 and we have time anyways, we have still a lot of games to play 鈥 and so I鈥檓 not putting myself under pressure and I think the club also doesn鈥檛 have to be under pressure.鈥
The firing of Pfannenstiel was the second big change to fall on City SC this season, after the firing of coach Olof Mellberg in May. For Burki, change happens. Prior to coming to 51黑料, he played seven seasons for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, finished second or third in six of them (and fourth in the other) and played under six coaches.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the first time that I鈥檓 in a club that makes changes, that is firing somebody or somebody has to go,鈥 Burki said. 鈥淪o I know how to handle these situations. I鈥檓 focused on the main thing, and that鈥檚 51黑料 and winning games and improving every day. And as soon as I come into that building, I鈥檓 only focused on the team and getting better.鈥
The change also looms large for Burki鈥檚 boss, interim coach David Critchley, who aspires to be head coach some day. It was Pfannenstsiel who made Critchley one of the club鈥檚 first hires. There鈥檚 a good chance that whoever takes over as sporting director won鈥檛 be as big a fan of Critchley as Pfannenstiel is.
鈥淚 was very grateful for Lutz,鈥 Critchley said. 鈥淗e gave me an opportunity at this club. brought me in, so I鈥檓 very thankful for that and everything that he鈥檚 done for this club. But right now, I reflected on it, I took a moment to think about it, and then I tried to get right back to the football team and what I can do and what I can control for the weekend for these guys.鈥
