FC Sion return to league action this Sunday in Vaduz (14:15). Reto Ziegler, Barthélémy Constantin and Didier Tholot met the press at midday ahead of the opening matchday. It was an opportunity for the French coach to take stock of his side's preparations and outline what he hopes to see from Sunday.

Here are the key points from the press conference:

Didier Tholot, on preparation:
"Preparation has been good. In the friendlies, we scored a lot of goals and put together some good combinations. The only downside was that we didn't manage a clean sheet. Physically, we're in good shape and we'll get better as the weeks go by. This preparation has also been an opportunity to put in place rules to ensure that the group lives well. Any player who doesn't follow these rules will go off on his own. We need to be really rigorous in our day-to-day work.

Didier Tholot, on the start of the championship:
"We're going to be the team to beat because we're coming up from the Super League. Some people are already labelling us favourites. But we'll have to play the games first, because the favourite isn't necessarily the team that wins in the end. What's certain is that we'll go into every game looking to win with self-sacrifice and solidarity. On the pitch, we'll have to want to win every duel, every race and every possession, playing for each other.

Barthélémy Constantin, on the mercato:
 "The reset was compulsory after this relegation. We had to rebuild something. We had a lot of discussions with the coach about profiles and we took on players with a winning mentality that the fans could identify with. The aim was also to get the team back together as quickly as possible. Barring a serious injury at the start of the season, the squad shouldn't change too much apart from one or two adjustments in terms of arrivals and departures.

Reto Ziegler, on the new squad:
"We learned a lot from last season. With this new group, I can really feel the positive energy. We've got players who really want to play. We had to turn our disappointment into motivation. We all have a responsibility for what happened in the spring. Now, the group's state of mind is the most important thing. There's strength in unity. Since the start of our preparations, I've been enjoying myself on the pitch again. We're trying to put in some good performances. Obviously it's not perfect yet, but we all want to do things well and enjoy ourselves together.

Reto Ziegler on the coach's contribution:
"I'm back with a coach I know and with whom I've had some great times. The coach has brought a great mentality to the dressing room. He's already given us a lot. He gives us a framework and rules. Now it's up to us to maintain that discipline on and off the pitch. The coach and I share the same values and the same vision of things. We know we're going to be the team to beat, but we're going to have to be determined at every game to show that FC Sion belong in the Super League.

On Sunday, FC Sion will take on FC Vaduz at Rheinpark from 2.15pm!

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