Participating clubs
Location of the 2024–25 Promotion League teams
| Founded | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Country | Switzerland |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 18 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | Challenge League |
| Relegation to | 1st League Classic |
| Domestic cup(s) | Swiss Cup |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Europa League (via Swiss Cup) |
| Current champions | Étoile Carouge (2023–24) |
| Website | matchcenter |
| Current: 2024–25 Swiss Promotion League | |
The Promotion League, named the Hoval Promotion League for sponsorship reasons, is the third tier of the Swiss football league system. Eighteen 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.
The league forms the semi-professional bridge to amateur football. [1]
Eighteen teams play each other twice, once home and once away, for a total of 34 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.
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 COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020–21 season suspended until further notice. [6] [7]
The league was expanded to 18 teams for the 2022–23 season and the number of allowed U21 teams is unrestricted. [8]
The following teams have won the league: [9]
| Season | Club |
|---|---|
| As 1. Liga Promotion | |
| 2012–13 | FC Schaffhausen |
| 2013–14 | FC Le Mont |
| As Promotion League | |
| 2014–15 | Neuchâtel Xamax |
| 2015–16 | Servette FC |
| 2016–17 | Rapperswil-Jona |
| 2017–18 | SC Kriens |
| 2018–19 | Stade Lausanne Ouchy |
| 2019–20 | None [lower-alpha 1] |
| 2020–21 | Yverdon-Sport FC |
| 2021–22 | AC Bellinzona [lower-alpha 2] |
| 2022–23 | Luzern II |
| 2023–24 | Étoile Carouge |
| 2024–25 | TBD |
The Challenge League is the second-highest tier of the Swiss football league system and lower of two professional leagues in the country. Ten teams play in the Challenge League; the winners of the league are promoted to the Super League, while the bottom-placed team is relegated to the Promotion League.
AC Bellinzona is a Swiss football club based in Bellinzona. It was founded in 1904, and won the Swiss Super League in 1948. After being folded in 2013 declaring bankruptcy, the team played the Ticino Group of 2.Liga, the sixth tier of the Swiss Football League System in 2014–15 season. After winning it and the 1. Liga Classic, Bellinzona is promoted to 1. Liga Promotion. They currently play in the Swiss Challenge League, the second tier of Swiss football.
The 2007–08 Swiss Challenge League was the fifth season of the Swiss Challenge League, the second tier of the Swiss football league pyramid. It began on 20 July 2007 and ended on 12 May 2008. The champions of this season, FC Vaduz, earned promotion to the 2008–09 Super League. The runners-up AC Bellinzona won the promotion/relegation playoff against the 9th-placed team of the 2007–08 Super League, FC St. Gallen. The bottom four teams, SC Kriens, SR Delémont, FC Chiasso and SC Cham, were relegated to the 1. Liga.
The following is a summary of the 2007–08 season of competitive football in Switzerland.
The 2015–16 Promotion League season is the fourth season of this league. It had previously been called 1. Liga Promotion but underwent a name change before the previous season. The Promotion League is the third highest level in the Swiss football league system, behind the Super League and the Challenge League.
The 2014–15 Promotion League season is the third season of this league which had previously been called 1. Liga Promotion prior to this season but now underwent a name change. The Promotion League is the third highest level in the Swiss football league system, behind the Super League and the Challenge League.
The 2016–17 Promotion League season is the fifth season of this league. It had previously been called 1. Liga Promotion but underwent a name change before in 2014. The Promotion League is the third highest tier in the Swiss football league system, behind the Super League and the Challenge League.
Uros Vasic is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Thun.
The 2022–23 Swiss Cup, or Schweizer Pokal, is the 98th season of Switzerland's annual football cup competition. It features 64 teams from the first to the eight tier of the Swiss football league. The first round will be played from 19 to 21 August 2022. The final will take place on 4 June 2023.
The 2022–23 Swiss Promotion League is the 11th season of the 3rd tier of the Swiss football league system under its current format.
The following is a summary of the 2006–07 season of competitive football in Switzerland.
The 2020–21 Promotion League season was the 9th edition. The league is the third highest level in the Swiss football league system, behind the Super League and the Challenge League.
The 2018–19 Promotion League season is the 7th edition. The Promotion League is the third highest level in the Swiss football league system, behind the Super League and the Challenge League.
The 2012–13 season of the 1. Liga Promotion was the initial season of this league, the 3rd division of Swiss Football and is the third level of the football hierarchy in Switzerland, behind the Super League and the Challenge League. The Championship had 16 teams and each team played 30 games. The champions of this division would be promoted and the last two teams would be relegated.
The 2011–12 Swiss 1. Liga was the final season of this league as the third highest tier in the Swiss football league system. From next season it would become the fourth highest tier. The 1. Liga is and remains the highest tier in Swiss amateur football, but many teams at that time had professional or semi-professional players.
The 2006–07 Swiss 1. Liga was the 75th season of this league and, at this time, was the third tier of the Swiss football league system. The 1. Liga was the highest level of amateur football, although a number of teams had professional or semi-professional players in their ranks.
The 2003–04 Swiss 1. Liga was the 72nd season of this league since its creation in 1931 and, at this time, it was the third tier of the Swiss football league system. The 1. Liga was also the highest level of amateur football, even though there was an ever-increasing number of clubs in this league that played with professional or semi-professional players in their ranks, not just the U-21 teams of the professional clubs.
The 2002–03 Swiss 1. Liga was the 71st season of this league since its creation in 1931 and it was the third tier of the Swiss football league system. The 1. Liga was also the highest level of amateur football, even though there was an ever-increasing number of clubs in this league that played with professional or semi-professional players in their ranks and this not just in the U-21 teams of the professional clubs.
The 1998–1999 Swiss 1. Liga was the 67th season of this league since its creation in 1931. At this time, the 1. Liga was the third tier of the Swiss football league system and it was the highest level of amateur football.
The 1995–96 Swiss 1. Liga was the 64th season of this league since its creation in 1931. At this time, the 1. Liga was the third tier of the Swiss football league system and it was the highest level of amateur football.
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