Swiss Promotion League

The Promotion League is the third tier of the Swiss football league system. Sixteen clubs compete in the league, playing each other twice over the course of the season. The champions are promoted to the second tier, the Challenge League, while the bottom two teams are relegated to the 1. Liga.

Promotion League
Founded2012
CountrySwitzerland
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams16
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toChallenge League
Relegation to1. Liga
Domestic cup(s)Swiss Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Europa League (via Swiss Cup)
Current championsStade Lausanne Ouchy
(2018–19)
Websitehttp://www.football.ch/
Current: 2020–21 Swiss Promotion League

The league is suspended until 2021 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.[1]

Overview

Sixteen teams play each other twice, once home and once away, for a total of 30 games. The season begins in August and ends in May, interrupted through a winter break from late November to early March. The team finishing in first place—subject to license requirements of professional football—will be promoted to the division above, in turn the last-placed team of the second division will be relegated for the following season. Similarly, the bottom two teams are relegated to the fourth tier and replaced respectively.[2]

It is the highest league in Switzerland that permits participation of reserve teams.

History

The league was introduced as the 1. Liga Promotion beginning with the 2012–13 season as part of a restructuring that saw the Challenge League reduced from 16 to 10 teams. This was done to decrease the competitive gap between it and the Super League by converting it to a purely professional league. The Promotion League would therefore serve as the semi-professional link to amateur football.[3] The 1. Liga was consequently renamed to 1. Liga Classic, before reverting again in 2013 when the former adopted its current name. For its maiden season, six teams were relegated from the Challenge League, while the rest joined from the division below.[4][5] In March 2020, the ongoing season was canceled after 17 games due to the coronavirus pandemic and the 2020–21 season suspended until further notice.[1][6]

Participating clubs
Location of the 2020–21 Promotion League teams

Current clubs 2020–21

League champions

The following teams have won the league:[7]

Season Club
2012–13 FC Schaffhausen
2013–14 FC Le Mont
2014–15 Neuchâtel Xamax
2015–16 Servette Genève
2016–17 FC Rapperswil-Jona
2017–18 SC Kriens
2018–19 FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy
2019–20 None[lower-alpha 1]
  1. The 2019–20 season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

References
  1. "Verbot von Kontaktsportarten - Promotion League und 1. Liga unterbrechen Saison". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  2. "Schweiz » Promotion League 2015/2016 » 30. Spieltag" [Switzerland: 1. Liga Promotion »2015–16] (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  3. "Die Dreiviertelfrage". Walliser Bote (in German). 6 May 2011.
  4. "Promotion League: Neuer Name". Walliser Bote (in German). 28 October 2013.
  5. "Challenge League wird reduziert". www.fussball.ch (in German). 12 November 2010.
  6. "Erste Liga - Spielbetrieb". www.el-pl.ch. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  7. "Schweiz » Promotion League » Siegerliste" [Switzerland: 1. Liga Promotion » List of champions] (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
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