FC Sion is one of the positive surprises in the first few weeks of the 2024/25 Super League season. Interim captain Joël Schmied explains the reasons for the successful start in an interview.
Joël Schmied is leading FC Sion as captain in the absence of Reto Ziegler. The central defender joined the Valais side in 2021 and has undergone a remarkable transformation with the club with a penchant for drama. In an interview with Keystone-SDA, the 25-year-old from Bern talks about the reasons why the 13-time cup winners have finally settled down after a turbulent few years.
FC Sion has started the Super League season as a promoted team with a sensational haul of nine points in four games and is in second place. Did you expect that?
Joël Schmied: "Expected is the wrong word. We prepared well and played a solid preparation. The fact that the team is more or less the same as last year certainly helps. If five or ten new players had joined, we would have had to relearn the processes."
In the past, Sion was known for producing a lot of background noise off the pitch. Since last season, it seems as if a different wind is blowing in Valais. Calm and consistency have returned. You witnessed the relegation a year ago and the direct promotion. How do you perceive the whole thing?
"When Marco Walker brought me to Sion, we had 40 to 50 players on the pitch. We trained on all three training pitches back then, now we only need one. I'm glad that the club has found the direction it wants to go in. Players trained in Switzerland combined with quality players from abroad is an important foundation. A certain consistency with the coach, who stays for longer than one season, is also important. That way you can give each other trust and time, because in my opinion long-term projects bring success. Changing too many things in a team too often is rarely a good thing."
How did this change in philosophy come about?
"The change came with Didier Tholot. Relegation to the Challenge League clearly hurt, but it was also important. Sion signed a lot of players who were first-class on paper but couldn't show it on the pitch. The relegation brought about a radical change with players who have ambitions and are disciplined and professional. We currently don't have any top-class players in the squad and yet things are going well. In the past, we've always had well-known names and players from big clubs in our ranks and yet we've always played against relegation."
Hardly any other Sion coach has been in charge as often and for as long as Didier Tholot. What makes him stand out?
"Tholot is a defensive-minded coach, even though he used to be a striker. He places extreme value on the defense. Shifting with the back four and the two sixes is particularly important to him. We are often well organized. If something is missing, then it's the pressure up front and finding solutions there."
How does the team take it?
"Everyone gives it their all all week. The coach expects that. If someone feels they don't have to give 100 percent, the coach intervenes from the touchline. In this respect, Tholot is justifiably strict and can sometimes get louder if necessary. That's exactly what we need in Sion. Someone who is consistent and takes action."
Tholot has appointed you captain this season, at least until Reto Ziegler is fit again. So you seem to have a good relationship with him?
"He's a very direct and honest person, which is also my style. But just because I'm temporarily wearing the captain's armband doesn't mean that I have sole responsibility. We have many players who take on responsibility internally and externally. What is an honorable task also entails a lot of work. You act as a link and have more discussions with the coach, which is more time-consuming."
What are the challenges as captain?
"I'm the link between the coach and the team and have to set a good example. If I rarely have a bad day, I can't let it show. You always act as a role model."
Are you happy that Mario Balotelli is no longer in the squad?
"I think so. As captain, I probably wouldn't have been able to say much to him."
You faced a familiar face in your first game as captain.
"My sister married David von Ballmoos last year. They've been together for 14 years and I've known him for just as long. I've been to two training camps with him, so it's very special to play against him. When we both entered the Wankdorf as captain, we had to smile a little. For me as a Bernese player, the game in the Wankdorf was already special. All the more meaningful to win the first game of the season with the captain's armband in Bern."
Let's take a look back at last season in the Challenge League. How did you perceive it?
"With the Challenge League team, we had the pressure to get promoted. In the Challenge League, you play a completely different kind of football. There are a lot of duels, the games are tough and spectators often make long journeys for poor stadium seats. It's not an easy league. All teams that get relegated have the urge to get promoted again straight away. It was the same for us."
What is special about the atmosphere in the Challenge League?
"The spectators are sometimes closer to you than in the Super League. You can hear more from the edge of the pitch, boos, but also shouts of joy. That's what makes football so special. You hear this much less in the big stadiums."
You perform in the "big" stadiums of the Super League. In the Cup in Delémont, however, you were only successful on penalties. Why do top teams often struggle in these first cup rounds?
"Internally, we all agree that games against teams from the 1st division or Promotion League are the most difficult. We are familiar with the Challenge League and Super League and now know the tactics of most teams and players. You follow the Promotion League and 1st Division less. The games there are much wilder, more hectic and uncoordinated. This can be overwhelming at times. What's more, it's the game of the season for clubs in the Promotion League or 1st Division."
Nevertheless, FC Sion's form is good. Are the three points against bottom-of-the-league GC on Saturday budgeted?
"On paper, I would still describe us as underdogs, as we were only recently promoted again. Nevertheless, we are motivated and have the three points as a clear goal."
