Swiss champion Thun sells two more players in talent drain from surprise title team

Swiss champion Thun sold two additional players from its surprise title-winning squad on Monday, following a challenging start to the season that saw the team exit the Champions League in the early stages. The club announced that defender Michael Heule has joined Heidenheim in Germany, while midfielder Valmir Matoshi has transferred to Sturm Graz, the Austrian side competing in the Europa League this season.

In total, Thun will receive a combined transfer fee of 3.75 million euros ($4.4 million) for the pair, who each appeared in over 30 league games last season, contributing to the team's surprising triumph as the first Swiss champions in years. However, Thun's title defense commenced with a heavy loss, as they fell 6-0 to Young Boys in their first home match of the new campaign and 7-0 to Lech Poznan in the first leg of a Europa League qualifying playoff.

If Thun is ultimately relegated, they will participate in the third-tier Conference League, commencing on October 15. The team's unexpected title win drew interest from larger clubs, leading to Thun coach Mauro Lustrinelli making moves to sign young talent. These include bringing in Union Berlin's top prospect Ethan Meichtry, while Elmin Rastoder and Christopher Ibayi, the leading scorers from last season, have departed for Panathinaikos and Moroccan club MAS, respectively.