Chur has learned to live in the space between ambition and realism. Two years under Iñaki Arriola have transformed a once-quiet regional club into one of the 1. Liga Classic’s most neatly constructed sides – tactically disciplined, intensely physical, emotionally coherent. A fifth-place finish after promotion, best defence in the league, and a playing identity etched into the rhythms of the squad’s daily work. Now, the departures of key players forced something different this summer: evolution through clever, diverse recruitment rather than sheer continuity.

Six players arrived – five Swiss-born, one raised in Mexico City with deep Swiss ties – each carrying different footballing backgrounds yet drawn to the same mountain project. On a warm July afternoon, we sat in the modest media room at Obere Au. It did not take long for conversation to flow.

The group shifts slightly as I begin, with Seriff Berbić offering the first smile. A tall, assured presence, he has joined from Cham to reinforce the goalkeeping department. I ask him why Chur, and why now.

“Because they defend properly,” he says, without hesitation. “The line is organised, the distances are tight, the communication is constant. For a goalkeeper, that is paradise. I know I’m here to compete, to push, but it’s the structure that convinced me.”

Next to him sits Alejandro Willimann, the only newcomer not born in Switzerland but raised partly in Mexico City, along with his twin brother Mauricio – also a free agent after leaving Luzern this summer – before returning to his family’s homeland as a teenager. A thoughtful, intelligent defensive midfielder with a reputation for reading the game rather than outrunning it. I ask whether Chur’s tactical identity appealed to him in particular.

“Absolutely,” he says. “In Kriens, I learned to work at tempo. But here, everything is about intention – pressing only when the conditions are right, keeping the block compact, choosing the right moments. For someone like me, whose game is more brain than explosiveness, that feels like home.”

There is a slight shift in posture from the player to Willimann’s right – Dion Cakolli, muscular, alert, carrying the unmistakable confidence of a striker forged in Italy. Atalanta’s youth system is no small thing. I ask him what brought him to Graubünden.

He grins. “Minutes. Responsibility. A chance to run in behind and scare defenders again. Italy teaches you a lot about structure but also about ruthlessness. When Iñaki showed me what the team lacked – depth-running, vertical disruption – I knew I could offer that.”

Nearby, Selmin Hodža nods approvingly. At 25, with time spent in Zürich’s academy ecosystem, he brings athleticism and a flexible role on the right. I ask him how he sees his place in this diverse group.

“Wherever the team needs intensity,” he replies. “If it’s as a full-back, I can defend one-on-one and overlap. If it’s wide in midfield, I can press and carry. Chur are losing some players in wide areas, so I want to give balance. And maybe improve my heading,” he adds, laughing as the room reacts. “The staff already has me doing extra work.”

Seated on the far end of the row is the youngest of the six, 17-year-old Alexandre Vayzendaz. Born in Zürich but clearly unfazed by the distance from home, he speaks with refreshing candour when I ask what convinced a promising defender to leave Grasshopper Zürich’s academy for a club over 100 kilometres away.

“Because here I play real football,” he says plainly. “Academy life is good, but I needed to be challenged by adults – physically, mentally, positionally. The coaches here showed me exactly what I must fix: timing, defensive decisions, how to use my speed properly. I felt trusted.”

Beside him sits the final arrival, Ibrahim Babayev, who comes with the most eye-catching background – time in Barcelona’s youth setup. Slim, quick-footed, naturally expressive, he joined Chur to rediscover joy and responsibility. When asked what he hopes to bring, he answers softly but clearly.

“Unpredictability,” he says. “Barcelona taught me technical detail, the beauty of possession. But I needed a new environment. Chur give me freedom, but also structure. They want creativity with purpose. I feel that again.”

The group dynamic has started to settle; players look to each other before answering, jokes pass across the table. It feels less like interviews and more like introductions among teammates.

I shift toward collective questions: What surprised you most about arriving in Chur?

“The mountains,” Babayev says instantly, and everyone laughs.
“The silence,” adds Vayzendaz. “No trams, no sirens, no city noise.”
“The tactical talks,” Willimann says. “They’re like university lectures. But good ones.”
“The fitness standards,” Cakolli adds. “I thought Italy worked hard. Here? You run whether you want to or not.”
“The honesty,” Berbić says. “Everyone tells you exactly what they think – in a good way.”

And what has impressed them most?

“The clarity of roles,” replies Willimann.
“The trust in young players,” says Vayzendaz.
“The unity in the dressing room,” Hodža adds. “You feel it quickly.”
“The professionalism for a part-time team,”Berbić notes.
“The demands,” says Caкolli. “Iñaki expects everything, every day.”

I close by asking each what they hope to contribute this season. The answers come quickly.

“Leadership,” Berbić says.
“Consistency,” adds Hodža.
“Growth,” says Vayzendaz.
“Joy and risk,” Babayev smiles.
“Control,” Willimann notes.
“Goals,” Cakolli finishes, cracking a grin to the amusement of the group.

As the room empties and the six newcomers drift back toward the training pitch, there is a sense of quiet purpose – no grand declarations, no promises of glory, just a collective clarity. Chur’s identity remains rooted in organisation, cohesion, and hard running, but now with new colours and new undertones: Italian aggression, Mexican-Swiss pragmatism, Zürich discipline, Barcelona expression. For a club still shaping its place in the fourth tier, this blend feels unexpectedly ambitious. But Chur have learned to build slowly, carefully, intelligently. Six signings, six different stories – each aligned to the same idea of football.

As pre-season begins, the mountains around the city stand unchanged, but the team beneath them looks unmistakably new.