2018–19 Swiss Challenge League

Swiss Challenge League
Season2018–19
ChampionsServette
PromotedServette
RelegatedRapperswil-Jona
Europa LeagueVaduz
Matches played170
Goals scored496 (2.92 per match)
Highest scoringServette 5–3 Rapperswil-Jona
All statistics correct as of 16 May 2019.

The 2018–19 Swiss Challenge League (referred to as the Brack.ch Challenge League for sponsoring reasons) was the 16th season of the Swiss Challenge League, the second tier of competitive football in Switzerland, under its current name. The season started on 20 July 2018 and ended on 26 May 2019.[1] The winter break was scheduled between 16 December 2018 and 1 February 2019.

Participating teams

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A total of 10 teams participated in the league. 2017–18 Swiss Challenge League champions Neuchâtel Xamax were promoted to the 2018–19 Swiss Super League. They were replaced by FC Lausanne-Sport, who got relegated after finishing last-placed in the 2017–18 Swiss Super League. FC Wohlen was relegated after finishing 10th. They were replaced by SC Kriens, who won promotion from the 2017–18 Swiss Promotion League.

Stadia and locations

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Team Location Stadium Capacity
FC Aarau Aarau Stadion Brügglifeld 8,000
FC Chiasso Chiasso Stadio Comunale Riva IV 5,000
SC Kriens Kriens Stadion Kleinfeld 5,360
FC Lausanne-Sport Lausanne Stade olympique de la Pontaise 15,850
FC Rapperswil-Jona Rapperswil-Jona Stadion Grünfeld 2,500
Servette FC Geneva Stade de Genève 30,084
FC Schaffhausen Schaffhausen LIPO Park Schaffhausen 8,200
FC Vaduz Liechtenstein Vaduz Rheinpark Stadion 7,584
FC Wil 1900 Wil IGP Arena 6,958
FC Winterthur Winterthur Schützenwiese 8,550

Personnel

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Team Manager
Aarau Switzerland Patrick Rahmen
Chiasso Switzerland Alessandro Mangiarratti (1ª-13ª)
Italy Andrea Manzo (14ª-)
Kriens Switzerland Bruno Berner
Lausanne Switzerland Giorgio Contini
Rapperswil-Jona Switzerland Urs Meier
Schaffhausen Switzerland Boris Smiljanić
Servette Switzerland Alain Geiger
Liechtenstein Vaduz Liechtenstein Mario Frick
Wil Germany Konrad Fünfstück
Winterthur Germany Ralf Loose

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Servette (C, P) 36 24 7 5 90 37 +53 79 Promotion to 2019–20 Swiss Super League
2 Aarau 36 19 7 10 63 46 +17 64 Qualification for the promotion/relegation play-offs
3 Lausanne 36 16 15 5 64 36 +28 63
4 Winterthur 36 16 8 12 57 51 +6 56
5 Wil 36 10 12 14 33 47 −14 42
6 Vaduz[a] 36 11 9 16 48 70 −22 42 Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round
7 Schaffhausen 36 10 9 17 43 62 −19 39
8 Kriens 36 7 15 14 46 58 −12 36
9 Chiasso 36 9 9 18 43 67 −24 36
10 Rapperswil-Jona (R) 36 10 5 21 47 59 −12 35 Relegation to 2019–20 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) Away goals scored; 6) Draw.[2]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Vaduz qualified for the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League as winners of the 2018–19 Liechtenstein Cup.

Results

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Promotion play-offs

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Ninth placed team of 2018–19 Swiss Super League, Xamax, faced Aarau, the runner-up of 2018–19 Swiss Challenge League.

First leg

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Xamax0–4Aarau
Report
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Stephan Klossner

Second leg

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Aarau0–4 (a.e.t.)Xamax
Report
Penalties
Zverotić soccer ball with red X
Jäckle soccer ball with check mark
Bürgy soccer ball with check mark
Mišić soccer ball with check mark
Karanović soccer ball with check mark
4–5 soccer ball with check mark Veloso
soccer ball with check mark Tréand
soccer ball with check mark Corbaz
soccer ball with check mark Ademi
soccer ball with check mark Dié
Attendance: 7,526
Referee: Adrien Jaccottet

Neuchâtel Xamax won on penalties after drawing 4–4 on aggregate and will stay in the Swiss Super League.

References

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  1. ^ "Spielplan Calendrier 2018–19" (PDF). www.sfl.ch (in German and French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Reglement für den Spielbetrieb der SFL" (PDF) (in German). sfl.ch. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
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