2023–24 Swiss Challenge League

Swiss Challenge League
Season2023–24
Dates21 July 2023 – 20 May 2024
ChampionsSion[1]
PromotedSion
RelegatedBaden
UEFA Conference LeagueVaduz
Matches played180
Top goalscorerDejan Sorgić (Sion)
16 goals
Biggest home win6–0
THU–BAD (4 Aug '23)
VAD–SHA (3 Sep '23)
Biggest away win0–5
BAD–WIL (27 Aug '23)
Highest scoring6–3
THU–VAD (3 Nov '23)
Longest winning runSion (7 wins)
Longest unbeaten runSion (17 games)
Longest winless runVaduz (12 games)
Longest losing runBaden (7 losses)
All statistics correct as of 31 May 2024.

The 2023–24 Swiss Challenge League (referred to as the Dieci Challenge League for sponsoring reasons) is the 126th season of the second tier of competitive football in Switzerland and the 21st season under its current name.

Overview

Teams

Due to the increased number of teams in the Super League, from ten to twelve,[2] two teams were directly promoted at the end of the last season and no teams were directly relegated, but third and last placed teams advanced to a promotion and relegation play-off, respectively. The remaining six teams were joined by the best placed eligible teams of the 2022–23 Swiss Promotion League, runners-up Stade Nyonnais and third-placed FC Baden, Stade Nyonnais and Baden returned to second tier after 11 and 17 years absence respectively. Last season's last placed team Neuchâtel Xamax FCS remains in the Challenge League as winners of the relegation play-off.[3] FC Sion, as losers of the promotion play-off, returned to the Challenge League after 17 years in the Super League.[4]

Schedule

The Swiss Football League (SFL) released a detailed schedule on 7 December 2022.[5][6] The season will begin on 21 July 2023 and conclude on 20 May 2024. As before, the league will go on winter break after matchday 18 on 17 December 2023 and resume on 26 January 2024. Promotion play-offs are scheduled for the week following the final matchday. The two legs of the promotion play-offs are scheduled for 26 and 31 May 2024, respectively.

The fixtures of the first 18 rounds were drawn and published on 21 June 2023,[7] together with the match times for the first nine rounds.[8] Matches of European competitors FC Vaduz may be postponed to Sundays in rounds 7, 8, and 9, subject to their performance in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying.[7]

Teams

Stadia and locations

class=notpageimage|
Locations of clubs in the 2023–24 Swiss Challenge League teams
Team Location Stadium Capacity Ref
FC Aarau Aarau Stadion Brügglifeld 8,000 [9]
FC Baden Fislisbach Esp Stadium 7,000 [10]
AC Bellinzona Bellinzona Stadio Comunale 5,000 [11]
FC Stade Nyonnais Nyon Stade de Colovray 7,200 [12]
FC Schaffhausen Schaffhausen Berformance Arena 8,200 [13]
FC Sion Sion Stade Tourbillon 14,283 [14]
FC Thun Thun Stockhorn Arena 10,014 [15]
FC Vaduz Liechtenstein Vaduz Rheinpark Stadion 7,584 [16]
FC Wil 1900 Wil Lidl Arena 6,958 [17]
Neuchâtel Xamax FCS Neuchâtel Stade de la Maladière 11,997 [18]

Personnel and kits

Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
Aarau Bosnia and Herzegovina Ranko Jakovljević Switzerland Olivier Jäckle gpard Credit Suisse
Baden Austria Michael Winsauer Switzerland Patrick Muff macron Badener Tagblatt
Bellinzona Spain Manuel Benavente Switzerland Matteo Tosetti Acerbis
Schaffhausen Germany Christian Wimmer Switzerland Serge Müller Puma Methabau
Sion France Didier Tholot Switzerland Reto Ziegler Macron OIKEN
Nyon France Christophe Caschili Switzerland Quentin Gaillard Adidas
Thun Switzerland Mauro Lustrinelli Switzerland Marco Bürki Macron Schneider Software AG
Vaduz Switzerland Marc Schneider Liechtenstein Benjamin Büchel Puma MBPI
Wil Italy Brunello Iacopetta Switzerland Kastrijot Ndau ERIMA Weber und Partner AG
LIKA Group AG
Xamax Switzerland Uli Forte Slovenia Kenan Fatkič Puma groupe e

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of departure Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment Ref.
Aarau Switzerland Boris Smiljanić Departure 28 May 2023 Pre-season Switzerland Alex Frei 12 June 2023 [19][20]
Bellinzona Argentina Fernando Cocimano (interim) End of interim spell 13 June 2023 Switzerland Sandro Chieffo 13 June 2023 [21]
Schaffhausen Switzerland Selcuk Sasivari (interim) 14 June 2023 Switzerland Bigi Meier 14 June 2023 [22]
Sion Italy Paolo Tramezzani Departure 15 June 2023 France Didier Tholot 15 June 2023 [23]
Bellinzona Switzerland Sandro Chieffo Sacked 3 October 2023 9th Spain Mario Rosas 3 October 2023 [24]
Schaffhausen Switzerland Bigi Meier 29 December 2023 10th Germany Christian Wimmer 29 December 2023 [25]
Vaduz Liechtenstein Martin Stocklasa 12 February 2024 8th Switzerland Marc Schneider 14 February 2024 [26][27]
Aarau Switzerland Alex Frei Departure 25 March 2024 3rd Bosnia and Herzegovina Ranko Jakovljević (interim) 25 March 2024 [28]

Number of teams by regions

No. of
teams
 Cantons Team(s)
2  Aargau Aarau, Baden
1
 St. Gallen Wil
 Bern Thun
 Schaffhausen Schaffhausen
 Liechtenstein FC Vaduz
 Vaud Nyon
 Valais Sion
 Neuchâtel Neuchâtel Xamax
 Ticino AC Bellinzona

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Sion (C, P) 36 23 10 3 72 23 +49 79 Promotion to Swiss Super League
2 Thun 36 23 7 6 73 38 +35 76 Qualification for promotion play-off
3 Vaduz 36 13 10 13 67 55 +12 49 Qualification for Conference League second qualifying round[a]
4 Xamax 36 11 16 9 55 45 +10 49
5 Wil 36 11 11 14 48 52 −4 44
6 Aarau 36 12 7 17 53 59 −6 43
7 Nyon 36 11 10 15 45 58 −13 43
8 Bellinzona 36 11 9 16 37 50 −13 42
9 Schaffhausen 36 8 14 14 36 55 −19 38
10 Baden (R) 36 6 8 22 31 82 −51 26 Relegation to Swiss Promotion League
Source: Swiss Challenge League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head goal difference; 5) Head-to-head goals scored 6) Away goals scored; 7) Draw.[29]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Vaduz qualified for the Conference League second qualifying round by winning the 2023–24 Liechtenstein Cup.


Results

Promotion play-off

The relegation play-off will be played in a two-legged game between the eleventh placed team of the Super League (5th of the relegation group) and the second placed team of the Challenge League. The two legs of the relegation play-offs are scheduled for 26 and 31 May 2024, respectively.[5]

The winner of the play-off is whichever teams scores most in both games (no away goals rule).[30] In case of a tie at the end of the two games, 30 minutes of extra time (two times 15 minutes) are added, followed by a penalty shoot-out, in case the teams are still tied.

First leg

Grasshopper1–1Thun
  • Morandi 90+7' (pen.)
 Report
  • 52' Gutbub
Attendance: 9,045
Referee: Sandro Schärer

Second leg

Thun1–2Grasshopper
 Report
Attendance: 10,014
Referee: Urs Schnyder

Grasshopper wins 3–2 on aggregate.

Attendances

# Football club Home games Average attendance[31]
1 FC Sion 18 6,542
2 FC Aarau 18 4,840
3 FC Thun 18 3,951
4 Neuchâtel Xamax 18 3,404
5 FC Baden 18 2,207
6 FC Wil 18 1,611
7 FC Vaduz 18 1,516
8 FC Schaffhausen 18 1,338
9 AC Bellinzona 18 836
10 Stade Nyonnais 18 781

References

  1. ^ "Sion ist zurück in der Credit Suisse Super League" [Sion is back in the Credit Suisse Super League] (in Swiss High German). Swiss Football League. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  2. ^ "12 Klubs und neuer Modus in der Super League". Swiss Football League. 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Xamax hält sich in der Challenge League – Nuzzolo sagt «Adieu»". SRF. 3 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Lausanne-Ouchy schickt Sion in die Zweitklassigkeit". SRF. 6 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b "SFL veröffentlicht Datenplan der Saison 2023/24" (in German). Swiss Football League. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Rahmenterminplan 2023/2024" [Calendar 2023/2024] (PDF). Swiss Football League. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  7. ^ a b "SFL veröffentlicht die Spielpläne für die Saison 2023/24" (in German). Swiss Football League. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Spielplan / Calendrier 2023/24" (PDF) (in German). Swiss Football League. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  9. ^ "FC Aarau". Swiss Football League. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  10. ^ "FC Baden". Swiss Football League. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  11. ^ "AC Bellinzona". Swiss Football League. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  12. ^ "FC Stade Nyonnais". Swiss Football League. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  13. ^ "FC Schaffhausen". Swiss Football League. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  14. ^ "FC Sion". Swiss Football League. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  15. ^ "FC Thun". Swiss Football League. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  16. ^ "FC Vaduz". Swiss Football League. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  17. ^ "FC Wil 1900". Swiss Football League. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  18. ^ "Neuchâtel Xamax FCS". Swiss Football League. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  19. ^ "Cheftrainer Smiljanic verlässt den FC Aarau". fcaarau.ch (in Swiss High German). FC Aarau. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  20. ^ "Alex Frei wird neuer Cheftrainer des FC Aarau". fcaarau.ch (in Swiss High German). FC Aarau. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  21. ^ "Conduzione tecnica stagione 23/24" [Technical Leadership Season 23/24]. acbellinzona.ch (in Italian). AC Bellinzona. 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  22. ^ "André 'Bigi' Meier wird Cheftrainer beim FC Schaffhausen". fcschaffhausen.ch (in German). FC Schaffhausen. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  23. ^ "Didier Tholot retrouve le FC Sion !". fcsion.ch (in Swiss French). FC Sion. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  24. ^ "Annuncio Ufficiale" [Official Announcement]. acbellinzona.ch (in Italian). AC Bellinzona. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  25. ^ "Christian Wimmer neuer FCS Trainer". fcschaffhausen.ch (in Swiss High German). FC Schaffhausen. 29 December 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  26. ^ "Vaduz trennt sich von Stocklasa". fcvaduz.li (in Swiss High German). FC Vaduz. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Marc Schneider neuer Cheftrainer beim FC Vaduz". fcvaduz.li (in Swiss High German). FC Vaduz. 14 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  28. ^ "Alex Frei löst Vertrag auf und nimmt eine Auszeit". fcaarau.ch (in Swiss High German). FC Aarau. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  29. ^ "Reglement für den Spielbetrieb der SFL" (PDF) (in Swiss High German). Swiss Football League. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  30. ^ "Die wichtigsten Infos zu den Barrage-Spielen CSSL vs. DCL". Swiss Football League. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  31. ^ https://www.worldfootball.net/attendance/sui-challenge-league-2023-2024/1/