Chur Are Heating Up the 1. Liga Classic

FC Chur’s second season under Iñaki Arriola – and their first in the 1. Liga Classic – has ended with the kind of quiet triumph that feels bigger than the league table suggests. Fifth place, 14 wins from 30 matches, and only seven defeats tell the surface-level story. Dig deeper, and it becomes clear that Chur have not merely survived the jump to the fourth tier – they have shaped it in their own image.

This is not a newly promoted side clinging on. This is a club establishing a profile, a style, and a reputation.

Chur finished with the third-highest goal tally in the division (50) and the best defence by a considerable margin, conceding just 25. On Expected Points, they would sit second: three goals scored above expectation, two conceded above, and just a single point below what the underlying numbers say they deserved. In isolation, those figures represent a mature, well-coached team. In the context of a debut season at this level, they border on exceptional.

But numbers only start to explain the identity Arriola is building. Chur led the league in the metrics that matter to them – and the ones that define their evolving Basque-Swiss hybrid style. They topped the division in dribbles with a remarkable 17.9 per match, almost two more than any other team. They recorded more than 500 additional high-intensity sprints than the next best side, again finishing the season as the league’s definitive leaders in physical output. They were the second-best team for possession lost, a balance that reveals the subtlety of Arriola’s system: measured and tidy in early transition, explosive and vertical in the final third. No team in the league attempted fewer final-third passes relative to their overall possession – Chur did not circulate for the sake of control. They struck when the opportunity emerged.

There were highlights. A memorable cup run ended only by FC Basel, and even then with honour – a tight 2–1 home defeat that has already become folklore on the Obere Au terraces. Away from home, Chur were the league’s strongest travellers, collecting 29 points from a possible 45. For a team whose longest away trip can feel like crossing a continent, that capacity to go on the road and control the narrative is yet another marker of professional maturity.

Individually, the picture is encouraging but also edged with frustration. Tiziano Stolz led the scoring charts with 13 from 7.25 xG, though his finishing veered from ruthless to careless. Jesús Segura was similar: 11 goals from 10.95 xG – productive, but leaving chances on the grass. The attacking trio behind them – Berisha,de Llanos and Pérez – were electric in phases but collectively underperformed their xG+xA contributions. De Llanos posted 10 from 10.62, Berisha 10 from 12.47, and Pérez 17 from 17.64. In a season of steady overachievement, this forward line is the one area where Chur will feel there is more to come.

January arrival Pajtim Kasami added two goals from his 12 appearances and nearly two expected assists but none recorded – yet his tactical influence has been more subtle, helping accelerate the side’s maturity in ball circulation and off-ball structure. And at the heart of everything, Sonny Henchoz enjoyed a campaign of consistency and authority, anchoring the league’s best defensive record with the calm timing and leadership of a player who seemed to grow with every tier climbed.

The foundations are strong – but the summer ahead will test the club’s clarity of vision. A number of first-team players will depart: Yeşilçayir, Michel, Burmaci, Hartmann and Spadić will all move on, leaving gaps in depth and experience. Recruitment, once again, must be precise. Arriola’s Spanish connections are expected to shape the shortlist, while Chur’s reputation as a platform for academy players from Switzerland’s major cities continues to grow. The pipeline is open; the challenge is selecting those capable of rising with a team that no longer hides its ambition.

A year ago, Chur entered the 1. Liga Classic hoping to prove they belonged. Now – after a season of structure, sweat, and statistical excellence – the question feels different. Not whether they belong, but how far they can go.