2024–25 Swiss Challenge League
Football league season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2024–25 Swiss Challenge League (referred to as the Dieci Challenge League for sponsoring reasons) is the 127th season of the second tier of competitive football in Switzerland and the 22nd season under its current name.
| Season | 2024–25 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 19 July 2024 – 23 May 2025 |
| Champions | Thun (2nd title) |
| Promoted | Thun |
| Relegated | Schaffhausen |
| UEFA Conference League | Vaduz |
| Matches | 180 |
| Top goalscorer | Oscar Correia (9 goals) |
| Biggest home win | 7–0 Étoile Carouge–Bellinzona (5 Apr '25) |
| Biggest away win | 1–6 Nyon–Thun (1 Nov '24) |
| Highest scoring | 6–2 SLO–Nyon (8 Nov '24) Xamax–Schaffhausen (31 Mar '25) |
← 2023–24 2025–26 →
All statistics correct as of 5 December 2023. | |
Schedule
The Swiss Football League (SFL) released a detailed schedule on 5 December 2023.[1][2] The season will begin on 19 July 2024 and conclude on 23 May 2025. The league will go on winter break after matchday 18 on 15 December 2024 and resume on 24 January 2025. The final matchday of the relegation group will take place on, while the championship group will hold its last matches. The two legs of the promotion play-offs are scheduled for 27 and 30 May 2025, while the relegation play-off will be held on 26 and 29 May 2025.
Teams
On May 11 2024, Étoile Carouge returned to the Challenge League after a 12 year absence.[3] On May 15, 2024, FC Stade Lausanne-Ouchy, relegated from the Super League, returned to the second series after a one year absence.[4] They replace last season's Challenge League champions FC Sion, who returned to the top flight after a 1 year absence, and FC Baden, who were relegated to the Swiss Promotion League after just one season in the Challenge League.[5]
Team changes
| Promoted from 2023–24 Swiss Promotion League |
Relegated from 2023–24 Swiss Super League |
|---|---|
| Étoile Carouge | FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy |
Stadia and locations
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Aarau | Aarau | Stadion Brügglifeld | 8,000 | [6] |
| AC Bellinzona | Bellinzona | Stadio Comunale | 5,000 | [7] |
| Étoile Carouge FC | Carouge | Stade de la Fontenette | 3,600 | [8] |
| FC Stade Lausanne-Ouchy | Lausanne | Stade Olympique[a] | 15,850 | [10] |
| FC Stade Nyonnais | Nyon | Stade de Colovray | 7,200 | [11] |
| FC Schaffhausen | Schaffhausen | FCS Arena | 8,200 | [12] |
| FC Thun | Thun | Stockhorn Arena | 10,014 | [13] |
| FC Vaduz |  Vaduz | Rheinpark Stadion | 7,584 | [14] |
| FC Wil 1900 | Wil | Lidl Arena | 6,958 | [15] |
| Neuchâtel Xamax FCS | Neuchâtel | Stade de la Maladière | 11,997 | [16] |
Personnel and kits
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aarau |  Brunello Iacopetta |
Olivier Jäckle |
gpard | Credit Suisse |
| Bellinzona |  Giuseppe Sannino |
Dragan Mihajlović |
Acerbis | |
| Étoile Carouge |  Adrian Ursea |
Aurélien Chappuis |
SB Sport | Raiffeisen |
| Lausanne Ouchy |  Dalibor Stevanović |
 Rayan Kadima |
14fourteen | gerofinance |
| Schaffhausen | Hakan Yakin |
 Ermir Lenjani |
Puma | Methabau |
| Nyon | Andrea Binotto |
Quentin Gaillard |
Adidas | |
| Thun | Mauro Lustrinelli |
Marco Bürki |
Macron | Schneider Software AG |
| Vaduz | Marc Schneider |
Benjamin Büchel |
Puma | MBPI |
| Wil | Marco Hämmerli |
Kastrijot Ndau |
Adidas | Weber und Partner AG LIKA Group AG |
| Xamax | Anthony Braizat |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schaffhausen |  Christian Wimmer |
End of contract | 19 May 2024 | Pre-season | Ciriaco Sforza |
15 June 2024 | [17][18] |
| Aarau |  Ranko Jakovljević (interim) |
End of interim period | 20 May 2024 | Brunello Iacopetta |
20 May 2024 | [19] | |
| Wil | Brunello Iacopetta |
Mutual consent | 24 May 2024 | Marco Hämmerli |
24 May 2024 | [20] | |
| Lausanne Ouchy |  Ricardo Dionísio |
25 September 2024 | 9th | Dalibor Stevanović |
25 September 2024 | [21] | |
| Xamax | Uli Forte |
24 December 2024 | 6th | Anthony Braizat |
24 December 2024 | [22][23] | |
| Nyon | Christophe Caschili |
Termination | 16 December 2024 | 8th | Andrea Binotto |
2 January 2025 | [24] |
| Schaffhausen | Ciriaco Sforza |
4 March 2025 | 10th | Hakan Yakin |
4 March 2025 | [25] | |
| Bellinzona |  Manuel Benavente |
18 March 2025 | 9th | Giuseppe Sannino |
20 March 2025 | [26][27] | |
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thun (C, P) | 36 | 21 | 9 | 6 | 70 | 39 | +31 | 72 | Promotion to Swiss Super League |
| 2 | Aarau (Q) | 36 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 63 | 45 | +18 | 61 | Qualification for promotion play-off |
| 3 | Étoile Carouge | 36 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 57 | 46 | +11 | 54 | |
| 4 | Lausanne Ouchy | 36 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 54 | 43 | +11 | 53 | |
| 5 | Wil | 36 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 60 | 55 | +5 | 53 | |
| 6 | Vaduz | 36 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 48 | 49 | −1 | 51 | Qualification for Conference League second qualifying round[a] |
| 7 | Bellinzona[b] | 36 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 47 | 60 | −13 | 44 | |
| 8 | Xamax | 36 | 12 | 5 | 19 | 57 | 65 | −8 | 41 | |
| 9 | Nyon | 36 | 10 | 6 | 20 | 44 | 69 | −25 | 36 | |
| 10 | Schaffhausen (R) | 36 | 7 | 7 | 22 | 40 | 69 | −29 | 25[c] | Relegation to Swiss Promotion 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.[31]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Vaduz qualified for the Conference League second qualifying round by winning the 2024–25 Liechtenstein Cup.
- Bellinzona were deducted 3 points on 16 December 2024 (confirmed on 22 January 2025), for failing to report social contribution payments.[28] This decision was partially overturned by CAS on 25 April 2025 (Bellinzona are still fined SFr 30,000).[29]
- Schaffhausen were deducted 3 points on 26 February 2025 (confirmed on 25 March 2025), for failing to report social contribution payments.[30]
Results
First and second rounds |
Third and fourth rounds
|
Promotion play-off
The relegation play-off was 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 were scheduled for 27 and 30 May 2025, respectively.[2] On 28 March 2025, it was decided by draw that the representative of the Super League will host the first match.[34]
The winner of the play-off was whichever team scored more goals over both games (no away goals rule).[35] In case of a tie at the end of the two games, 30 minutes of extra time (two times 15 minutes) were added, followed by a penalty shoot-out, in case the teams were still tied.
First leg
Second leg
| Aarau | 1:0 | Grasshopper |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
- Grasshoppers's home game will be played in Lugano, due to the Letzigrund being unavailable on the dates of the play-off.[36]