The 2022–23 Swiss Challenge League (referred to as the Dieci Challenge League for sponsoring reasons) is the 125th season of the second tier of competitive football in Switzerland and the 20th season under its current name.

Quick Facts Season, Dates ...
Swiss Challenge League
Season2022–23
Dates15 July 2022 - 27 May 2023
ChampionsYverdon-Sport
PromotedYverdon-Sport
Lausanne-Sport
Europa Conference LeagueVaduz
Matches played180
Goals scored562 (3.12 per match)
Top goalscorer19 goals
Brighton Labeau (LAU)
Teddy Okou (SLO)
Biggest home win6–0
SLO–BEL (27 May 23)
Biggest away win1–6
BEL–VAD (16 Apr 23)
XAM–VAD (27 May 23)
Highest scoring7 goals
7 games
Longest winning run4 games
Aarau
Lausanne-Ouchy
Yverdon-Sport
Longest unbeaten run11 games
Lausanne-Sport
Longest winless run13 games
Bellinzona
Longest losing run7 games
Xamax
Highest attendance12,034[1]
Lausanne-Sport
Total attendance420,547[1]
Average attendance2,336[1]
All statistics correct as of 19 May 2023.
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Overview

Ten teams will compete in the league: eight teams of the previous season will participate in the league again. They are joined by FC Lausanne-Sport, the last-placed team of the 2021–22 Swiss Super League, who replace previous seasons champions FC Winterthur. Last season's last-placed team SC Kriens were relegated and are replaced by AC Bellinzona, who were promoted from the 2021-22 Swiss Promotion League.[2] FC Schaffhausen, the losers of the 2021-22 relegation/promotion playoff, rejoined the league.

Due to the format change and increased number of teams in the 2023–24 Swiss Super League, this season will function as a transition season. As a result, the top two teams will be directly promoted and no teams will be relegated at the end of the season. Furthermore, the third-placed team will play a promotion playoff against the last placed team of the 2022–23 Swiss Super League,[3] so a total of three teams may gain promotion to the Super League. Two teams of the 2022–23 Swiss Promotion League will be promoted and the third will play a relegation playoff with the last-placed Challenge League team.[3]

Schedule

The schedule was announced on 17 June 2022.[4] The first matchday will start on Friday 15 July 2022.

Unlike the Super League, the Challenge League will not start the winter break early due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in November and December 2022. As such, the 18th matchday will clash with matches of the World Cup. Restart of the league after the winter break will begin on 27 January 2023 and the season will conclude on the 27 May 2023.[5] Following the end of the season, the two legs of the Relegation Play-off will be played on 31 May and 3 June 2023, respectively. The Promotion Play-off is scheduled for 3 and 6 June 2023, respectively.

Participating teams

Stadia and locations

  1. Stade-Lausanne-Ouchy's home stadium Stade Juan-Antonio-Samaranch in Lausanne can not accommodate SLO for the Challenge League. SLO will play at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Lausanne.[8]

Personnel and kits

More information Team, Manager ...
Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
Aarau Switzerland Boris Smiljanić Albania Shkëlzen Gashi gpard Credit Suisse
Bellinzona Italy Stefano Maccoppi Switzerland Dragan Mihajlović Acerbis
Lausanne-Ouchy France Anthony Braizat Kosovo Lavdrim Hajrulahu 14fourteen gerofinance
Lausanne-Sport Switzerland Ludovic Magnin Switzerland Stjepan Kukuruzović Le coq sportif Banque cantonale vaudoise
Xamax Switzerland Uli Forte Switzerland Liridon Berisha Puma groupe e
Schaffhausen Switzerland Selcuk Sasivari Switzerland Serge Müller Puma Methabau
Thun Switzerland Mauro Lustrinelli Switzerland Marco Bürki Macron Schneider Software AG
Vaduz Liechtenstein Martin Stocklasa Liechtenstein Benjamin Büchel Puma MBPI
Wil Italy Brunello Iacopetta Switzerland Philipp Muntwiler ERIMA Weber und Partner AG
LIKA Group AG
Yverdon-Sport Switzerland Marco Schällibaum France William Le Pogam Puma Orllati SA
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Managerial changes

More information Team, Outgoing manager ...
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of departurePosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentRef.
Thun Argentina Carlos Bernegger Termination 21 May 2022 Pre-season Switzerland Mauro Lustrinelli 16 June 2022 [17][18]
Lausanne-Sport France Alain Casanova 22 May 2022 Switzerland Ludovic Magnin 23 May 2022 [19][20]
Yverdon-Sport Switzerland Uli Forte Departure 4 June 2022 Switzerland Marco Schällibaum 13 June 2022 [21][22]
Schaffhausen Switzerland Martin Andermatt Contract Expiry 4 June 2022 Switzerland Hakan Yakin 4 June 2022 [23]
Bellinzona Switzerland Marco Schällibaum Departure 13 June 2022 Switzerland David Sesa 21 June 2022 [22][24]
Schaffhausen Switzerland Hakan Yakin Missing coaching licence 12 August 2022 6th Switzerland Bigi Meier (interim) 12 August 2022 [25]
Bellinzona Switzerland David Sesa Resignation 22 August 2022 7th Argentina Fernando Cocimano (interim) 22 August 2022 [26]
Xamax Switzerland Andrea Binotto Termination 28 August 2022 10th Luxembourg Jeff Saibene 29 August 2022 [27][28]
Schaffhausen Switzerland Bigi Meier (interim) End of interim period 2 September 2022 4th Switzerland Hakan Yakin 12 August 2022
Bellinzona Argentina Fernando Cocimano (interim) 14 September 2022 5th Italy Baldassare Raineri 14 September 2022 [29]
Aarau Switzerland Stephan Keller Termination 1 November 2022 6th Switzerland Boris Smiljanić 3 November 2022 [30][31]
Vaduz Switzerland Alessandro Mangiarratti Resignation 16 November 2022 8th Germany Jürgen Seeberger 15 December 2022 [32][33]
Bellinzona Italy Baldassare Raineri Termination 18 January 2023 6th Italy Stefano Maccoppi 19 January 2023 [34][35]
Vaduz Germany Jürgen Seeberger Resignation 21 February 2023 9th Germany Jan Mayer (interim) 21 February 2023 [36]
Vaduz Germany Jan Mayer (interim) End of interim period 1 March 2023 9th Liechtenstein Martin Stocklasa 1 March 2023 [37]
Bellinzona Italy Stefano Maccoppi Termination 31 March 2023 8th Argentina Fernando Cocimano (interim) 31 March 2023 [38]
Xamax Luxembourg Jeff Saibene Resignation 23 April 2023 10th Switzerland Uli Forte 25 April 2023 [39][40]
Schaffhausen Switzerland Hakan Yakin Termination 20 May 2023 7th Switzerland Selcuk Sasivari (interim) 20 May 2023 [41]
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League table

More information Pos, Team ...
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification
1 Yverdon (C, P) 36 20 6 10 64 53 +11 66 Promotion to Swiss Super League
2 Lausanne (P) 36 17 10 9 58 43 +15 61
3 Lausanne-Ouchy[lower-alpha 1] (O, P) 36 17 9 10 70 53 +17 60 Qualification for the promotion play-off
4 Aarau 36 15 12 9 63 57 +6 57
5 Wil 36 16 8 12 62 52 +10 56
6 Thun 36 12 13 11 62 55 +7 49
7 Schaffhausen 36 12 8 16 51 59 8 44
8 Vaduz 36 7 16 13 54 56 2 37 Qualification for the Europa Conference League first qualifying round[lower-alpha 2]
9 Bellinzona 36 11 4 21 38 71 33 37
10 Xamax (O) 36 4 12 20 42 65 23 24 Qualification for the relegation play-off
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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.[44]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted
Notes:
  1. Lausanne-Ouchy were deducted 3 points on 1 November 2022, due to license violations.[42] This decision was overturned following the team's appeal on 22 November 2022.[43]

Results

More information Home \ Away, AAR ...
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Play-offs

Promotion play-off

The relegation play-off will be played in a two-legged game between the last place team of the Super League and the third placed team of the Challenge League.[3] The first leg will be held on 3 June 2023, with the representative of the Super League hosting.[5] The second leg will be held on 6 June 2023.

First leg

More information Sion, 0–2 ...
Sion0–2Lausanne-Ouchy
Report
  • 26' Mulaj
  • 57' Bamba
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Attendance: 9,050
Referee: Luca Cibelli

Second leg

More information Lausanne-Ouchy, 4–2 ...
Lausanne-Ouchy4–2Sion
Report
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Attendance: 10,754
Referee: Urs Schnyder
Lausanne-Ouchy wins 6–2 on aggregate.

Relegation play-off

The relegation/promotion play-off will be played in a two-legged game between the last placed team of the Challenge League and the third placed team of the Promotion League.[3] The first leg will be held on 31 May 2023, with the representative of the Promotion League hosting.[5] The second leg will be held on 3 June 2023.

First leg

More information Rapperswil-Jona, 1–3 ...
Rapperswil-Jona1–3Xamax
  • Volkart 54'
Report
  • 7' Aliu
  • 20' Bakayoko
  • 26' Del Toro
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Stadium Grünfeld, Rapperswil
Attendance: 2,154

Second leg

More information Xamax, 3–0 ...
Xamax3–0Rapperswil-Jona
  • Hammerich 58'
  • Del Toro 69'
  • Pinga 73'
Report
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Xamax wins 6–1 on aggregate

Statistics

More information Rank, Player ...
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Awards

Best Player

Player of the Round

The best player of the Super League and Challenge League for each matchday is voted for by the viewers from among a selection of players.

More information Round 1, Round 2 ...
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4
# Nat Player Team L Ref # Nat Player Team L Ref # Nat Player Team L Ref # Nat Player Team L Ref
1 Serbia Samir Ramizi Winterthur (SL) [47] 10 Switzerland Cedric Itten Young Boys (SL) [48] 19 Portugal André Moreira Grasshopper (SL) [49] 28 Germany Pius Dorn Luzern (SL) [50]
2 Japan Hayao Kawabe Grasshopper (SL) [51][52] 11 Italy Mario Balotelli Sion (SL) [53] 20 France Andy Diouf Basel (SL) [54]
3 Azerbaijan Renat Dadashov Grasshopper (SL) [55] 12 Tunisia Mohamed Dräger Luzern (SL) [56] 21 Switzerland Zeki Amdouni Basel (SL) [57]
4 Switzerland Nicky Beloko Luzern (SL) [58] 13 Germany Max Meyer Luzern (SL) [59] 22 Czech Republic Martin Frýdek Luzern (SL) [60]
5 Germany Lukas Görtler St. Gallen (SL) [61] 14 Switzerland Dejan Sorgić Luzern (SL) [62] 23 Ghana Lawrence Ati-Zigi St. Gallen (SL) [63]
6 Germany Lukas Watkowiak St. Gallen (SL) [64] 15 Ghana Lawrence Ati-Zigi St. Gallen (SL) [65] 24 Switzerland Nicky Beloko Luzern (SL) [66]
7 Mali Daouda Guindo St. Gallen (SL) [67] 16 Ivory Coast Emmanuel Latte Lath St. Gallen (SL) [68] 25 Switzerland Noe Holenstein Winterthur (SL) [69]
8 Switzerland Ardon Jashari Luzern (SL) [70] 17 Switzerland Pascal Schürpf Luzern (SL) [71] 26 Germany Meritan Shabani Grasshopper (SL) [72]
9 Germany Marius Müller Luzern (SL) [73] 18 Germany Max Meyer Luzern (SL) [74] 27 France Sofyan Chader Luzern (SL) [75]
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More information July, August ...
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Teams

Fair Play

On 14 June 2023, FC Vaduz was awarded the Fair Play Trophy for the dieci Challenge League.[95]

More information #, Club ...
# Club Yellow card Yellow-red card Red card Pts
1 Vaduz 821190
2 Yverdon 921095
3 Aarau 882199
4 Wil 8233106
5 Schaffhausen 9350108
6 Thun 10111109
7 Bellinzona 10441121
8 Lausanne 9063123
9 Xamax 10043127
10 Lausanne-Ouchy 12133145
League Total 95330161123
Average/game 5.290.170.096.24
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Last updated: 30 May 2023
Source: Fair Play Trophy dieci Challenge League

References

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