Roman Bürki is St. Louis CITY SC’s first-ever captain, the 2023 MLS expansion club announced Monday.
The 32-year-old former Swiss international goalkeeper will be joined by MLS veteran center back Tim Parker as the team’s vice-captain.
“We have a solid core in our leadership council, but Roman stood out,” head coach Bradley Carnell said in a release. “His vast experiences at the highest level and how he has carried himself since he arrived made him a standout candidate. Having Roman and Tim as captain and vice-captain will be good for our team in terms of communication on and off the field.”
Bürki signed with St. Louis in July 2022 after seven years at German Bundesliga powerhouse club Borussia Dortmund. He amassed 176 matches and 60 clean sheets in Bundesliga play, plus 33 matches with 12 clean sheets in UEFA Champions League during his time at Dortmund.
Bürki has also made nine appearances for Switzerland, backing up now-Bayern Munich goalkeeper Yann Sommer during the FIFA 2018 World Cup. He’s often played on the international stage with Chicago Fire FC star Xherdan Shaqiri.
Parker, 29, joined St. Louis in a trade with Houston Dynamo FC this past November. He’s netted two goals and four assists across 217 appearances (207 starts) with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, New York Red Bulls and Houston. Parker’s also made two appearances for the United States, both in June 2018 friendlies.
St. Louis CITY SC play their inaugural match on Feb. 25 at Austin FC (8:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass), then hold their first-ever MLS game at CITYPARK on March 4 against Charlotte FC (8:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
