With the 2009 season officially ending in defeat against Real Salt Lake last week, the Chicago Fire face the difficult challenge of rebuilding a team that had the potential to win it all. However, this is not something that has been only recently on the mind of those in the front office.

ASN had the chance to speak with Chicago Fire technical director Frank Klopas to talk about some of the recent departures from the Fire as well as the realities of the soccer business.

“The one thing that needs to be cleared up with Chris Rolfe and Gonzalo Segares is that we wanted to keep them. This goes back to last year,” said Klopas. “We made him [Rolfe] good offers and they would have made him one of the highest paid strikers in the league. Segares, for a left back compared to the league, was offered good money as well.”

Although money is one factor, Klopas reiterated that financial incentive is just one factor in a players decision.

“With each player being about 27 years old, and when looking at a 4 year deal, they are looking at it as a last opportunity to play outside of this country. That’s the hardest thing to contend with. With the U.S. National Team getting better and better, the teams from across the world are looking at our players because they are less expensive when compared to other players across the world.”

Klopas also has the perspective of both sides as he played professionally in Greece with most notably, AEK Athens as, well as with the Fire in their 1998 championship season.

“It’s tough because I remember myself as a player also. The opportunity and dream to go is there. Before the league started it was different because you saw players staying with one team for long period’s of time. We still have players like CJ Brown who has been with us since 98. You don’t see that as much because players come here (MLS) and they play, develop and then are looking to go abroad. Even with the right money, you are still dealing with a guy’s dream of playing in a different country so they can say they tried and did it. The important thing is that we have an organization where we do things the right way.”

A replacement DP (Designated Player) may or may not be in the works due to Cuathemoc Blanco’s agreement to play for Veracruz in their early 2010 campaign. Blanco is eligible to come back to the Fire in the summer transfer window. When asked about Guillermo Barros-Schelotto’s recent contract negotiation with the Columbus Crew, Klopas was brief but distinct on the situation.

“He is a very good player and has proved himself through his career. But he also knows the league. Columbus owns his rights so we would have to work through them. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.”

Another player that was a significant part of the Fire’s attack is Marco Pappa. With his contract up, the Fire do have him on the radar for a permanent return.

“He is a player that is on loan (CSD Municipal in Guatemala) with the option to buy and he is a young and exciting player. As far as options are concerned, he is someone that we are looking at bringing back.”

Similar to the Rolfe and Segares situation, it’s possible it will come down to the right offer at the right time in the players career.