Longtime Timbers midfielder Diego Chara says he’ll retire after the MLS sprint season

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chara plans to play during Major League Soccer’s sprint season next spring but then he’ll retire from the club he joined in 2011.

Chara, 40, has played for a single club longer than any other MLS player in history, appearing in 450 league matches with the Timbers. In his 16th season with Portland, he believes he can still contribute to the club.

“I think the performance I had during the season gave me that confidence, and as well the support of my teammates, coaching staff, by the club, too, that gave me the strength to continue,” he said in announcing his decision Monday.

MLS will play a 14-game regular season in early 2027 before the league switches to a schedule that better aligns with those of its international counterparts. The sprint season will run from February to May, with each of the league’s 30 teams playing 14 games against conference opponents before single-elimination playoffs.

The league will then turn to a 2027-28 season that kicks off in July. The playoffs and league championship will be played in May 2028.

Chara, who joined the Timbers in their inaugural season after playing professionally in his native Colombia, is now a fixture in Portland, known for his broad smile and a vast collection of yellow cards. He holds the ongoing league record for most career yellows with 130.

“Being for this long with the team, being one of the so-called original Timbers, I think this is the best way to finish this career,” he said.

During his tenure with the Timbers, the team won the 2015 MLS championship, three Western Conference titles and the MLS is Back tournament in 2020. They’ve been MLS Cup runners-up twice, in 2018 and 2021.

“Loyalty in football is not easy to achieve, and to do it for that long time speaks by itself,” Timbers coach Martí Cifuentes said about Chara. “But then having the opportunity to work with him in a daily basis has been fantastic. His level of professionalism, how much he cares for the teammates, for the organization, for the club, on the pitch, he’s amazing.”

Portland is 10-14-7 this season and currently under the playoff line in 11th place in the Western Conference with three games remaining in the regular season. The team has undergone some changes this season, with the dismissal of coach Phil Neville and the addition of Cifuentes.

But Chara has been a constant.

“I grew up with the team, you know, together from the first year in MLS, making the first final, being a champion with the team. I mean, too many good phases and a lot of good memories,” he said. “I think it has been a great journey with the team.”

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