Iñaki Arriola – Reflection on the 2038 Summer Window

When you enter Europe for the first time in a club’s history, there are two temptations. One is fear – to protect what you have built. The other is vanity – to chase something that is not truly yours. This summer, we chose neither. We were calm. Strategic. Intentional. We moved forward without losing ourselves.

The objective was clear from the first internal meeting: raise our technical ceiling and add depth so that we do not depend solely on Ilan Tomic for goals. In Europe, moments are smaller and margins thinner. If your attacking threat comes from one reference point, opponents will remove that reference. We had to evolve without breaking the structure that brought us here.

The departures of Jano Monserrate and Andrea Favara mark the end of an era. There is no other way to say it. Jano’s 68 goal involvements are not statistics – they are memories. Andrea, the first academy graduate after our 2025 rebrand, gave 11 years of his life to this first team. Seventy-five goal involvements, but more importantly, identity. These players carried the club when it was still trying to prove it belonged. I feel only gratitude. Evolution in football is sometimes cruel, but it must never be ungrateful. Their names will remain part of our story and I, along with every single fan of this football club, extends our sincerest thanks to them both for all that they have achieved with us.

Drillon Azemi was different. With him, I carry some guilt. We did not give him a stable reference point last season. We asked him to solve problems in multiple roles rather than allowing him to master one. When Hoffenheim came with an offer aligned with his ambition, it was correct to let him go. But internally, I reflect on whether we maximised him. That responsibility is mine. The fee will support our new training and youth facilities, and that matters deeply to me, but reflection is necessary if we are to grow as coaches.

This window was also about courage. We broke our transfer record twice. For a club like ours, that weight is real. Mauro Frey, a Graubünden-born forward, represents belief in regional talent. To bring him from St. Gallen for €350,000 was not only financial; it was symbolic. Mauro has flair and pace, but also humility. He broke through with seven goals in the Challenge League last year. We believe there is another level in him, and it is our duty to help him find it.

Then Ilan Assongo arrived from Guingamp. €400,000. Another record. At 29, some would question that investment. I do not. He is mentally strong, tactically intelligent, capable as a defensive midfielder or full back. In Europe, you need players who understand tempo and suffering. Assongo fits our DNA – work rate, stamina, technical security. He could be a cornerstone for the next five years. When you break records, you must break them for the right reasons. Character was non-negotiable.

Bruno Darbellay came on a free transfer, but he brings experience that money often cannot buy. At 27, with a background at Stade Lausanne-Ouchy and even an early move to Southampton that shaped his understanding of elite demands, he gives us balance. Left-footed centre-backs who can progress the ball are rare. In our early build-up, his calmness will be essential.

Beñat Orbaiz and José Luis Sánchez were not coincidences. I am Basque. I believe in the Basque football ideology – structure, resilience, collective conviction. Orbaiz, developed at my old club Gernika – with the likelihood that we crossed paths being incredibly high – and born in Bilbao, brings four years of La Liga 2 experience. Two-footed, defensively secure, tactically mature. Sánchez arrives from Athletic Club’s B structure having played over 200 games. That education shapes players. Determination. Technical clarity. Mental strength. I consciously look toward Basque profiles because mentality travels well. It integrates. It reinforces standards.

Daniel Moreno is different. He is a risk. A 21-year-old on loan from Racing Santander with viral training-ground videos and flair that does not always fit into tactical diagrams. But evolution requires openness. Our scouting process has matured; we must not only sign the safe profile. Moreno represents controlled risk. He is a free spirit, yes – but mentally sound. The responsibility is mine to give him structure without suffocating his creativity. In Europe, sometimes one unpredictable action changes a tie.

We also said goodbye to players who needed clarity. Daniel Palagi sought minutes; we could not guarantee them. Lionel Etonde struggled to settle – football is not only tactical, it is social and emotional. Xavi Mirangels received an opportunity in Türkiye that improved his life. These are human decisions before they are sporting ones.

The loan list makes me particularly proud. João Correia to St. Gallen. Fernandinho and Nikola Babovic to Zürich. Granit Maliqi to Sion. Valerio Christen to Stade Lausanne-Ouchy. Joan Antion Munil to Aarau. Marko Durdevic to Eschen/Mauren. These are clubs that, not long ago, would have been unreachable for us in terms of status. Now they take our players on loan. That is growth. That is the academy breathing. We will monitor each of them closely – development must remain guided, not accidental.

Financially, we have not chased glamour. Funds were allocated to improving training and youth facilities. Infrastructure is silent ambition. It does not trend on social media, but it sustains decades. The club remains stable. That balance matters more to me than headlines.

Success in twelve months will not be measured only in league position. It will be measured in whether we enjoyed Europe without fear. Whether we competed with dignity. Whether our identity remained intact across domestic consistency. If we can navigate Europe while staying true to our structure, our collective pressing, our disciplined foundations transforming into controlled attacking shapes, then this window will have served its purpose.

We are not chasing. We are building something that can endure.