Chur’s first summer as a newly promoted 1. Liga Promotion side was, by most external measures, understated. Supporters expecting a flurry of deals to match the club’s growing ambition were instead met with a disciplined, almost minimalist recruitment window: three free transfers, all released by their previous clubs, all slotted neatly into Iñaki Arriola’s overarching tactical model. At first glance, it looked conservative. In reality, it was the clearest sign yet that the Basque coach is tightening his grip on the stylistic identity he has been quietly constructing since his arrival.

Arriola has never been one to make changes for the sake of cosmetics. While the board has spoken openly about the next step – transitioning Chur into a fully professional club – he has resisted the temptation to rebuild hastily. Instead, this summer was about refinement: bringing in players who already speak the footballing language he demands, who understand the rhythms and expectations of his 3-2-5 possession structures, his aggressive counterpressure, and his insistence on discipline in defensive reference points. The three arrivals all fit the pattern: intelligent movers, technically secure, competitively seasoned, and capable of slotting into multiple phases of play without disrupting the evolving equilibrium.

The first and perhaps most emblematic of Arriola’s choices is Ilija Maslarov, a 23-year-old defensive midfielder whose game intelligence stands out even before the ball comes into play. A product of the Lugano academy who later earned over a hundred senior appearances between various stints – including time with Basel U21 at Challenge League level – Maslarov arrives with an unusually mature understanding of spatial management. His anticipation is his signature: he reads triggers early, moves cleanly to extinguish danger, and makes decisions that often spare his centre-backs from having to intervene.

Technically, he is composed and methodical, reliable in recycling possession but also capable of threading more ambitious passes when the central lanes open. Standing tall and physically imposing, he offers height in defensive transitions and set-play contexts, something Arriola’s side lacked in periods last year. Maslarov was recruited less as a headline maker and more as a structural piece – someone who allows Chur’s more expressive players to operate in advanced roles without sacrificing defensive balance. In a team that values control through clarity rather than flamboyance, he may prove indispensable.

If Maslarov is the anchor, Nino Weibel is the fluid, connective tissue. Also 23 and shaped by the St Gallen academy, Weibel arrives with a résumé that mirrors Chur’s current trajectory. He has nearly eighty appearances at precisely the level Chur played at last season, supplemented by a single Super League outing – a small note on paper, but one that signals a player who has tasted the intensity of elite Swiss football. Arriola has always admired versatility, and Weibel brings it in abundance.

Agile, nimble in tight spaces, and comfortable interlinking short combinations, he moves fluidly between roles: wide, central, deeper, or advanced depending on the game state. His first touch is sharp, his awareness consistent, and he has a well-earned reputation for performing in big matches. That big-game temperament was a key reason Arriola pushed for him; in a season where Chur will inevitably be asked to step into more hostile environments, the maturity to play with clarity under pressure is invaluable.

Weibel is neither a luxury player nor a purely functional one. He is the kind who allows a team to breathe – supporting possession on one side, drifting into half-spaces on the other, stabilising attacking patterns through simple but purposeful movements. He won’t dominate headlines, but he will change match textures.

The most narrative-rich signing of the trio is unquestionably Angelo Campos, a 30-year-old forward returning to the town of his birth after a career that has taken him across Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Portugal. Raised in the St Gallen academy from 2015 onwards, Campos collected eighteen Challenge League appearances for Vaduz before embarking on a two-year spell at Varzim in Portugal’s second tier, where he carved out a niche as a high-impact bench weapon. Forty of his forty-five appearances came as a substitute, a statistic that hints at a player who brings intensity, aggression, and disruptive qualities in the final third.

Campos is consistent, mentally robust, and thrives under the weight of big-match scenarios. His pressing is fierce and disciplined, often acting as the first spark in Arriola’s counterpressure sequences. Combined with reliable aerial ability, a strong first touch, and flashes of flair when linking phases, he arrives as a complete, mature option capable of supporting or spearheading Chur’s attack. But more importantly, he understands Chur – not the club on paper, but the community, the environment, the identity it aspires to build. His return is both a sporting decision and a symbolic one: a Chur-born footballer choosing to come home at a moment when the club is pushing towards professionalisation.

At a time when many newly promoted sides attempt to accelerate their evolution through heavy spending or broad squad refreshes, Chur’s summer stands out for its restraint. Arriola’s influence is clear: he values cohesion over noise, alignment over experimentation. Rather than altering the squad’s chemistry, he has added three players who strengthen the club’s structural integrity, each in a different way – Maslarov in prevention, Weibel in connection, Campos in intensity and mentality.

This may not have been a headline-grabbing recruitment campaign, but it was a decisive one. Chur’s ambition to take the final step into full-time football will require not only talent, but clarity – and this summer showed exactly where the club believes that clarity lies