Swiss Challenge League

The Swiss Challenge League or Brack.ch Challenge League is the second highest tier of the Swiss football league system. Ten teams play in the Challenge League. The winners of the league are promoted to the Super League, while the bottom team is relegated to the Promotion League.

Swiss Challenge League
Founded1898 as Swiss Serie B[1]
1933 as Nationalliga B[2]
CountrySwitzerland
Other club(s) fromLiechtenstein
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams10
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toSuper League
Relegation toPromotion League
Domestic cup(s)Swiss Cup
Current championsServette
(2018–19)
WebsiteOfficial Site
2019–20 Season

As of 2020, Liechtenstein's FC Vaduz plays in the Challenge League, as Liechtenstein clubs play in the Swiss league structure.

The Challenge League is fully professional.

Participating clubs 2019–20
Team Foundation Hometown Venue Capacity
FC Aarau26/05/1902 AarauStadion Brügglifeld8.000
FC Chiasso16/10/1905 ChiassoRiva IV5.000
Grasshopper Club01/09/1886 ZürichLetzigrund26.104
SC Kriens01/07/1944 KriensKleinfeld5.360
FC Lausanne-Sport1896 LausannePontaise15.850
FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy2001 OuchyCentre Sportif de Vidy4.200
FC Schaffhausen01/07/1896 SchaffhausenLIPO Park Schaffhausen8.085
FC Vaduz14/02/1932 VaduzRheinpark Stadion7.564
FC Wil 19001900 WilIGP Arena6.010
FC Winterthur01/07/1896 WinterthurSchützenwiese9.450

Promotion/Relegation from 2018–19 season

History

The league was named Nationalliga B until 2003 when it was restructured and changed to the "Challenge League."

During the Nationalliga B era, the top clubs were "promoted" into a round robin playoff with the lowest teams in the Nationalliga A to determine promotion and relegation. From 2003 to 2012, the second placed team entered a two-legged playoff against the 9th placed team in the Super League, with the winner playing in the higher division next season. In 2012, with the creation of the 1. Liga Promotion (later renamed Promotion League), the league was reduced to 10 teams in a 1-up 1-down promotion/relegation format, scrapping the playoff. The playoff was reintroduced in 2019.

Nationalliga B Era
Season League Winner Promoted from playoffs/Promoted as runners up Teams Relegated
1960–61FC LuganoFC SchaffhausenNeuchâtel Xamax
Nordstern Basel
1961–62FC ChiassoFC SionFC Martigny-Sports
FC Yverdon-Sports
1962–63FC SchaffhausenNeuchâtel XamaxFC Bodio
FC Fribourg
1963–64FC LuganoAC BellinzonaEtoile Carouge FC
FC Vevey-Sports 05
1964–65Urania Genève SportYoung Fellows ZürichFC Bern
FC Schaffhausen
1965–66FC WinterthurFC MoutierFC Porrentruy
Neuchâtel Xamax
1966–67FC LuzernAC BellinzonaLe Locle-Sports
Blue Stars Zürich
1967–68FC WinterthurFC St.GallenFC Moutier
FC Bern
1968–69FC WettingenFC FribourgFC Baden
FC Solothurn
1969–70FC SionFC LuzernFC Thun
FC Langenthal
1970–71FC St.GallenFC GrenchenYoung Fellows Zürich
Urania Genève Sport
1971–72FC ChiassoFC FribourgFC Monthey
US Gambarogno
1972–73Neuchâtel XamaxCS ChênoisSC Brühl
SC Buochs
1973–74FC LuzernFC Vevey-Sports 05Young Fellows Zürich
FC Tössfeld
1974–75FC Biel-BienneFC La Chaux-de-FondsFC Giubiasco
Mendrisiostar
1975–76AC Bellinzona-FC Martigny-Sports
FC Wettingen
1976–77Étoile Carouge FCYoung Fellows ZürichMendrisiostar
FC Raron
1977–78Nordstern BaselFC ChiassoFC Gossau
FC Bulle
1978–79FC La Chaux-de-FondsFC Luzern
FC Lugano		Étoile Carouge FC
Young Fellows Zürich
1979–80AC BellinzonaNordstern BaselFC Raron
FC Baden
1980–81FC Vevey-Sports 05FC Aarau
FC Bulle		SC Kriens
1981–82FC WinterthurFC WettingenAurore Bienne
FC Altstätten
FC Frauenfeld
1982–83FC La Chaux-de-FondsFC ChiassoFC Bern
FC Ibach
FC Rüti ZH
1983–84SC ZugFC WinterthurFC Fribourg
FC Nordstern Basel
FC Red Star Zürich
1984-85FC GrenchenFC BadenMendrisiostar
FC Yverdon-Sports
FC Monthey
1985–86FC LocarnoAC BellinzonaFC Zug
FC Laufen
Le Locle Sports
1986–87FC GrenchenNoneSC Kriens
1987–88Étoile Carouge FC (West)
FC Lugano (East)		FC Wettingen
FC Lugano		FC Solothurn
FC Vevey-Sports 05
FC Wangen bei Olten
1988–89FC Yverdon-Sports (West)
FC Basel (East)		FC ZürichFC Biel-Bienne
Renens FC
Urania-Genève-Sport
1989–90FC Fribourg (West)
FC Baden (East)		FC ZürichFC Brüttisellen
FC Martigny-Sports
FC Zug
1990–91FC Yverdon-Sports (West)
FC Locarno (South & East)		NoneCS Chênois
SC Burgdorf
FC Montreux-Sports
1991–92FC Basel (West)
FC Schaffhausen (South & East)		FC ChiassoES Malley
SC Zug
FC Glarus
1992–93FC Yverdon-Sports (West)
FC Luzern (East)		FC Luzern
SC Kriens
FC Yverdon-Sports		FC Wettingen
FC Châtel-St-Denis
FC Brüttisellen
SC Bümpliz
FC Emmenbrücke
FC Chur
FC La Chaux-de-Fonds
1993–94Étoile Carouge FC (West)
FC Schaffhausen (East)		FC Basel
FC St. Gallen		BSC Old Boys
FC Bulle
Urania Genève Sport
FC Chiasso
FC Monthey
FC Sursee
FC Fribourg
1994-95FC Yverdon-Sports (West)
SC Kriens (East)		NoneAC Bellinzona
FC Grenchen
1995–96SC KriensNoneFC Chiasso
FC Naters
1996–97Étoile Carouge FCÉtoile Carouge FC
SC Kriens		FC Gossau
FC Meyrin
1997–98BSC Young BoysFC Lugano
BSC Young Boys		FC Winterthur
SV Schaffhausen
1998–99FC WilSR Delémont
FC Yverdon-Sports		FC Locarno
FC Chiasso
1999–2000AC BellinzonaFC SionStade Nyonnais
FC Schaffhausen
2000–01BSC Young BoysBSC Young BoysFC Wangen bei Olten
FC Solothurn
2001–02FC Wil 1900FC Wil 1900
FC Thun		FC Locarno
Étoile Carouge FC
2002–03FC VaduzNoneFC Lugano1
FC Lausanne-Sport1
FC Sion1

1 FC Lugano and FC Lausanne-Sport went bankrupt which meant that no team was relegated due to their league position. FC Sion were not awarded a license for the 2003-04 season resulted in an extra team being promoted.

Challenge League Era

The league statistics of the Challenge League area:[3][4]

Year 1st Position 2nd Position Playoff result Relegated Relegated
2003–04 Schaffhausen Vaduz Neuchâtel Xamax 2:0 Vaduz

Vaduz 2:1 Neuchâtel Xamax

Neuchâtel Xamax won 3:2 on aggregate

 Delémont1
2004–05 Yverdon-Sport Vaduz Schaffhausen 1:1 Vaduz

Vaduz 0:1 Schaffhausen

Schaffhausen won 2:1 on aggregate

 Baden2 Bulle
2005–06 Luzern Sion Sion 0:0 Neuchâtel Xamax

Neuchâtel Xamax 0:3 Sion

Sion won 3:0 on aggregate

 Baden Meyrin
2006–07 Neuchâtel Xamax Bellinzona Bellinzona 1:2 Aarau

Aarau 3:1 Bellinzona

Aarau won 5:2 on aggregate

 Baulmes YF Juventus
2007–08 Vaduz Bellinzona Bellinzona 3:2 St. Gallen

St. Gallen 0:2 Bellinzona

Bellinzona won 5:2 on aggregate

 Delémont3
Kriens3		 Chiasso
Cham
2008–09 St. Gallen Lugano Lugano 1:0 Luzern

Luzern 5:0 Lugano

Luzern won 5:1 on aggregate

 Locarno4 Gossau4
2009–10 Thun Lugano Bellinzona 2:1 Lugano

Lugano 0:0 Bellinzona

Bellinzona won 2:1 on aggregate

 Le Mont Gossau
2010–11 Lausanne Servette Bellinzona 1:0 Servette

Servette 3:1 Bellinzona

Servette won 3:2 on aggregate

 Schaffhausen Yverdon
2011–12 St. Gallen Aarau Sion 3:0 Aarau

Aarau 1:0 Sion

Sion won 3:1 on aggregate

 Nyon
Carouge
Delémont		 Kriens
Brühl
2012–13 Aarau Bellinzona Locarno5
2013–14 Vaduz Lugano Locarno
2014–15 Lugano Servette Biel/Bienne6
2015–16 Lausanne Wil Biel/Bienne7
2016–17 Zürich Neuchâtel Xamax Wil8
2017–18 Neuchâtel Xamax Schaffhausen Wohlen
2018–19 Servette Aarau Neuchâtel Xamax 0:4 Aarau

Aarau 0:4 (4:5 p) Neuchâtel Xamax

Xamax won after 4:4 on aggregate and 5:4 in penalty shootout.

 Rapperswil-Jona
1Sion were admitted to the league on October 29, 2003, after the season had already begun which brought the number of teams in the division to 17.
Only one club was relegated and two were promoted to extend the league to 18 clubs for the 2004–05 season.

2Baden were not relegated due to Servette being demoted to 1. Liga because of financial difficulties.
3Delémont and Kriens were also relegated to due the league being downsized to 16 teams for the 2008–09 season.
4Locarno and Gossau were not relegated due to Concordia and La Chaux-de-Fonds being denied professional licenses.
5Locarno were not relegated due to Bellinzona being stripped of their professional licenses during the season.
6Biel/Bienne were not relegated due to Servette being denied professional licenses.
7Biel/Bienne were stripped of their professional licenses during the season.
8Wil were not relegated due to Le Mont relinquishing their professional licenses.

See also

References
  1. Swiss Serie B RSSSF
  2. Swiss Football League - Nationalliga B RSSSF
  3. "Schweiz » Challenge League » Siegerliste" [Switzerland: Challenge League » List of champions] (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  4. "Schweiz » Challenge League 2015/2016 » 36. Spieltag" [Switzerland: Challenge League »2015–16] (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
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