The 2021–22 Swiss Challenge League (referred to as the Dieci Challenge League for sponsoring reasons) was the 19th season of the Swiss Challenge League, the second tier of competitive football in Switzerland, under its current name. The season started on 23 July 2021 and ended on 21 May 2022.[2]
| Season | 2021–22 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Winterthur |
| Promoted | Winterthur |
| Relegated | Kriens |
| Europa Conference League | Vaduz |
← 2020–21 2022–23 → All statistics correct as of 3 August 2021[1]. | |
Participating teams edit
A total of 10 teams participate in the league. 2020–21 Swiss Challenge League champions Grasshopper Club Zürich was promoted to the 2021–22 Swiss Super League. They were replaced by FC Vaduz, who was relegated after finishing last-placed in the 2020–21 Swiss Super League. FC Chiasso was relegated after finishing in last place in the 2020–21 Swiss Challenge League and was replaced by Yverdon-Sport FC, who finished atop the 2020-21 Swiss Promotion League.
Stadia and locations edit
Personnel and kits edit
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aarau |  Stephan Keller |  Elsad Zverotić | gpard | Swiss Red Cross, Credit Suisse |
| Kriens | Bruno Berner | Elia Alessandrini | Joma | MVM AG |
| Lausanne-Ouchy |  Meho Kodro |  Andy Laugeois | 14Fourteen | none |
| Neuchâtel | Martin Rueda | Laurent Walthert | Erima | Groupe E, Briq |
| Schaffhausen | Martin Andermatt | Imran Bunjaku | Puma | Pistoleros, doc-oliday |
| Thun |  Carlos Bernegger | Nicola Sutter | Macron | Schneider Software AG |
| Wil | Brunello Iacopetta | Philipp Muntwiler | Erima | Planet Pure |
| Winterthur | Alexander Frei | Davide Callà | gpard | Keller, Init7 |
Managerial changes edit
League table edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Winterthur (C, P) | 36 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 76 | 45 | +31 | 65 | Promotion to Swiss Super League |
| 2 | Schaffhausen | 36 | 19 | 8 | 9 | 73 | 49 | +24 | 65 | Qualified for the Promotion play-offs |
| 3 | Aarau | 36 | 20 | 5 | 11 | 67 | 47 | +20 | 65 | |
| 4 | Vaduz | 36 | 18 | 6 | 12 | 68 | 58 | +10 | 60 | Qualification for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round[a] |
| 5 | Thun | 36 | 17 | 5 | 14 | 62 | 57 | +5 | 56 | |
| 6 | Xamax | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 56 | 54 | +2 | 50 | |
| 7 | Lausanne-Ouchy | 36 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 46 | 50 | −4 | 44 | |
| 8 | Yverdon | 36 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 44 | 52 | −8 | 44 | |
| 9 | Wil | 36 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 68 | 80 | −12 | 41 | |
| 10 | Kriens (R) | 36 | 3 | 4 | 29 | 25 | 93 | −68 | 13 | Relegation to Swiss Promotion League |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head goal difference; 5) Away goals scored; 6) Draw.[4]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Vaduz qualified for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round by winning the 2021–22 Liechtenstein Cup.
Results edit
Statistics edit
Top scorers edit
- As of 21 May 2022[5]
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Joaquín Ardaiz | FC Schaffhausen | 20 |
| 2 | Kevin Spadanuda | FC Aarau | 18 |
| 3 | Simone Rapp | FC Vaduz | 16 |
| Brighton Labeau | Stade Lausanne-Ouchy | ||
| Roman Buess | FC Winterthur | ||
| 6 | Sofian Bahloul | FC Wil | 14 |
| Raphaël Nuzzolo | Neuchâtel Xamax FCS | ||
| 8 |  Koro Kone | Yverdon-Sport | 13 |
| Valon Fazliu | Yverdon-Sport | ||
| 10 | Tunahan Cicek | FC Vaduz | 12 |
Awards edit
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (August 2021) |
Promotion play-offs edit
The ninth-placed team of the Super League played the runners-up of the Challenge League. The games were held on 26 and 29 May 2022, respectively.[7][8] The runner-up of the Challenge League hosted the first game.[9]
FC Schaffhausen was confirmed as the runner-up of the Challenge League on 21 May 2022. On 22 May, FC Luzern was confirmed as their opponent.
First leg edit
Second leg edit
FC Luzern wins 4–2 on aggregate.
References edit
- ^ "SAISON-STATISTIK 2021/22". www.sfl.ch (in German). Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ "Rahmenterminplan 2021-22" (PDF). www.sfl.ch (in German and French). Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ Verdon, Emilien (11 February 2020). "Football: SLO jouera la saison prochaine à la Pontaise" (in French). LFM. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- ^ "Matchcenter" (PDF) (in German). sfl.ch. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ "Torschützenliste 2021/22". The Swiss Football Association (in German). The Swiss Football Association. Retrieved 1 Mar 2022.
- ^ "Fair Play Trophys gehen nach Lugano und Thun" [Fair Play trophies awarded to Lugano and Thun]. 2022-06-01.
- ^ "SFL bestimmt die Anspielzeiten bis zum Saisonende". Swiss Football League. 2022-03-03.
- ^ "Termine für 35. DCL-Runde und Barrage sind bekannt". Swiss Football League. 2022-04-25.
- ^ Swiss Football League [@News_SFL] (April 3, 2022). "SFL bestimmt die Anspielzeiten bis zum Saisonende" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
External links edit
- Official website (in German and French)