Frank Klopas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Frank Klopas

Personal information
Full name	Fotios Klopas
Date of birth	(1966-09-01) September 1, 1966 (age 58)
Place of birth	Prosymna, Greece
Height	5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m)
Playing position	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1983–1988	Chicago Sting (indoor)	140	(62)
1988–1994	AEK Athens	49	(6)
1994–1996	Apollon Athens	10	(0)
1996–1997	Kansas City Wizards	54	(7)
1998–1999	Chicago Fire	45	(6)
Total		298	(81)
National team
1987–1995	United States	39	(12)
Teams managed
2004–2006	Chicago Storm
2011–2013	Chicago Fire
2013–2015	Montreal Impact
2020–2023	Chicago Fire (assistant)
2023–2024	Chicago Fire
Honours Representing  United States Third CONCACAF Gold Cup 1996 Men's Soccer
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Fotios "Frank" Klopas (born September 1, 1966) is a former American soccer player. He played as a forward, which means he was a main attacker for his team. After he stopped playing, Frank Klopas became a commentator and later a coach for soccer teams like the Chicago Fire and Montreal Impact.

Frank Klopas's Soccer Journey

Early Life and Moving to the U.S.

Frank Klopas was born in a village called Prosymna in Greece. When he was eight years old, his family moved to the United States. They settled in Chicago, where he grew up.

He became a U.S. citizen when he turned 18. Frank went to Mather High School in Chicago, where he was a star player on the boys' soccer team. He even helped his school win the Chicago Public League championship in his final year.

Starting His Professional Career

In 1983, right after high school, Frank Klopas joined the Chicago Sting soccer team. This team played in the North American Soccer League. He later played for the indoor version of the Sting team for four seasons. He was recognized as one of the best players in the league during the 1986–1987 season.

Playing in Greece

In 1988, Frank moved to Greece to play for AEK Athens. He had a very successful time there, helping his team win four championships. He also won a Greek Super Cup and a Greek League Cup.

However, he suffered a serious knee injury in 1991. This injury and a later infection kept him from playing for almost two years.

Returning to the U.S. and MLS

In 1992, Frank Klopas signed a special contract with the U.S. Soccer Federation. This meant he would play full-time for the United States men's national soccer team.

After the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Frank went back to Greece for a short time. He played for Apollon Athens for two seasons.

In 1996, Major League Soccer (MLS) started in the U.S. To make sure teams were fair, MLS assigned well-known players to different teams. Frank Klopas was sent to the Kansas City Wizards. He played there for two years.

Later, in 1998, he joined the Chicago Fire. This was a special move for him, as Chicago was his home city. He helped the Fire win the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in 1998. Winning both in the same year is called "The Double". He scored important goals for the Fire, including two goals in their first-ever game at Soldier Field. He also scored the winning goal in overtime during the 1998 U.S. Open Cup Final.

Frank Klopas retired from playing soccer after the 1999 season. In 2004, he was honored by the Chicago Fire and added to their "Ring of Fire." In 2005, he was also inducted into the Illinois Soccer Hall of Fame.

Playing for His Country

Early International Games

Frank Klopas first played for the U.S. national team in 1987. He played in games to help the team qualify for the 1988 Summer Olympics. He even scored a goal in one of these games. He also played in the Olympics, but the U.S. team did not make it past the first round.

His official senior team debut was in 1988. He scored his first two goals for the U.S. in a big 5–1 win against Jamaica. Even though he played in many World Cup qualifying games for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, he wasn't chosen for the final team that went to Italy.

The 1994 FIFA World Cup

After recovering from his knee injury, Frank worked hard to join the U.S. team for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. was hosting the tournament that year. He scored five goals in friendly games leading up to the World Cup. These goals were against teams like Iceland, Estonia, Armenia, and even his home country, Greece.

He made the U.S. team for the World Cup. However, he didn't get to play in any of the main tournament matches. The U.S. team played well defensively but struggled to score goals. Even though he was known for scoring, the coach decided not to play him.

Copa América Success

In 1995, Frank Klopas played in the 1995 Copa América tournament. This was a very exciting time for the U.S. team. He scored the first goal in a surprising 3–0 win against Argentina. This was one of the biggest upsets in U.S. Soccer history!

He also scored the winning goal in a penalty shootout against Mexico in the quarterfinals. The U.S. team made it to the semifinals but lost to Brazil.

Frank Klopas played his last game for the U.S. national team in October 1995. In total, he played 39 games for the U.S. and scored 12 goals. He is still one of the top goal scorers for the U.S. national team.

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player, Frank Klopas continued his career in soccer as a coach.

In 2000, he became a strength and conditioning trainer for the Chicago Fire. Later, in 2004, he became the head coach and general manager for the Chicago Storm, an indoor soccer team.

In 2008, he returned to the Chicago Fire as their technical director. He then became the interim head coach in 2011 and later the full head coach. He coached the Fire for two seasons.

In 2013, he became the head coach for the Montreal Impact in Canada. He led them to the CONCACAF Champions League final in 2015, which was a big achievement, though they narrowly lost.

Frank Klopas later returned to the Chicago Fire as an assistant coach in 2020. In May 2023, he became the interim head coach again. He stepped down at the end of the 2024 season.

Personal Life

Frank Klopas lives in Chicago with his wife, Sophia.

Honors

As a Player

Chicago Sting

• NASL Championship: 1984

AEK Athens

• Greek League Champion: 1988–89, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94
• Greek Super Cup: 1989
• Greek League Cup: 1990

Chicago Fire

• MLS Cup: 1998
• U.S. Open Cup: 1998

As a Coach

Montreal Impact

• Canadian Championship: 2014
• CONCACAF Champions League - Runners-up: 2014–15

See also

In Spanish: Frank Klopas para niños