Roman Bürki has taken city by storm, quickly becoming one of St. Louis’ favorite athletes. He’s the first captain in the history of of St. Louis City SC, was an All Star in 2023 and is regarded as one of the top keepers in all of MLS. With all that success to his credit, the former Swiss international was linked to a move abroad earlier this week, sinking hearts across the region as the 2025 season approaches.
With that rumor still circulating, Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel was quick to dismiss the departure of the St. Louis keeper; at least for now as he addressed the media on Friday at Energizer Park.
“I can tell you that Roman Burki will start the season with us and he will finish the season with us,” he said. It doesn’t matter, even if the moon or Barcelona is interested in him, he will not leave St. Louis City SC,” Pfannenstiel continued. “Then there is ’26, ’27, ’28 and there’s a future to talk about…but that’s something which we have to figure out with Roman and his agent, and there is talks. Roman is our captain. He’s the best goalkeeper in the league. He’s a very important player for us. And of course, we’re working hard to keep Roman here as long as possible.”
While the front office was quick to dispel any rumors, Bürki may have inadvertently put more coals on the rumor of departure after the season telling the St. Louis Post Dispatch that he wasn’t aware of an offer currently but that he would have to what in his best interest while reiterating his focus for 2025 is St. Louis City SC.
To his credit, it shouldn’t be a surprise the former Swiss international is gaining attention from overseas. In addition to the honors above, Bürki was the 2023 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and has finished in the top two for most goals saved above expected in back to back seasons; leading that metric in ‘23. For those who may be unfamiliar, that statistic measures how many goals a goalie saves above in situations where the expected outcome would be a goal; reflecting just how good he has been in situations where the defense has let him down. He’s also been one of the most dependable players for the club starting nearly every match for City in it’s brief history.
At this juncture of the preseason and with the club having no back up who could easily step into fill Bürki’s shoes it seems highly unlikely he departs this winter in my opinion. Could he leave in the summer if City is stuck in another miserable season? Perhaps. But that’s a conversation for later. The club has already proven they would spend Designated Player level money on a keeper, so there has to be optimism that a deal to keep him here longer could be done if he and the club both want it to happen. For now, throw on your favorite Bürki kit and head down to Engergizer Park so we can remind the league who is in their heads.
Taking his passion for soccer and St. Louis to the next level, Jeremy aims to provide analytical coverage of all this St. Louis City SC.