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Fire Coach Klopas, President Leon Step Down

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Fire say coach Frank Klopas and president of soccer operations Javier Leon have stepped down.

The moves announced Wednesday come after the Fire narrowly missed the playoffs. They finished 14-13-7 but lost to the Montreal Impact on MLS' second tiebreaker (goals scored).

Leon and Klopas, a former Fire player, had been with the team since 2008. Klopas started as the technical director and took over as head coach in 2011. He led them to the MLS Cup Playoffs the following year.

In a statement, owner Andrew Hauptman says it was time for a change and "making this team compete for championships on a consistent basis is our first priority."

(© 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)

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