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Fairmont grad, former UD star to play pro soccer in Denmark

Chris Rolfe signs 3-year guaranteed deal with Danish Superliga team.

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By Sean McClelland, Staff Writer 1:22 AM Thursday, September 3, 2009

Chris Rolfe’s parents support their son’s decision to pursue his soccer career with a team in Denmark, but it will be quite an adjustment for the Kettering couple.

“We’ve seen most of his games since he was 7,” Ralph Rolfe said. “But we understand that it’s good for him.”

Rolfe, in his fifth season with the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, confirmed Wednesday, Sept. 2, that he has agreed to a three-year guaranteed contract with a Danish Superliga team in Aalborg, a city about four hours north of Copenhagen with a soccer history dating back to 1885.

The Fairmont High School graduate and former University of Dayton standout intends to complete the season — and his contract — with the Fire. Official “transfer” takes place in January, about halfway through the Aalborg season.

“It’s a new opportunity and something I’ve always wanted to do,” Rolfe, 26, said. “I want to help them win championships, then continue climbing the ladder.”

Players often use the Scandinavian leagues as springboards to larger European leagues and clubs. Meanwhile, the money and security tend to be far greater than in the MLS, where the maximum a player can make in one season is $400,000.

Rolfe will earn about $100,000 this season with the Fire. He would not divulge financial specifics of his Aalborg deal, but one industry source placed the total value of the three-year package at more than $1 million.

“I love Chicago and the fans,” Rolfe said. “But with the way the contracts are in MLS, it was time for me to make a move.”

Rolfe signed his deal earlier this week on a trip to Aalborg, where he toured the city and met with the team.

“We’re not excited to see him go,” Ralph Rolfe said. “But from a professional standpoint, there’s only a handful of people who get a chance to do this. It’s pretty neat for a kid from Fairmont.”

Drafted by the Fire in 2005, Rolfe became a reliable scorer almost immediately. He’s second on the team with five goals and has 35 for his career.

This past spring, Rolfe missed 10 days with an illness and lost his starting forward spot. He’s since been used as a midfielder and thinks the ability to play more than one position helped his market value.

As for seeing his son play, Dad looks forward to longer stays, although trips, naturally, will be fewer.

“If I go and stay for a week, I can see almost as many games as I can by going to Chicago four times,” Ralph said. “With the current airfares, I think I would almost just as soon fly to Denmark.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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