Swiss Super League

Swiss Super League is the top tier of professional football in Switzerland. It is one of the oldest national leagues in the world, founded in 1897 as the Swiss Serie A, before evolving into today’s structure.

History and facts

Swiss football began in the late 19th century with the formation of regional clubs across Zürich, Basel, and Geneva. In 1897, the first national championship was created, making Switzerland one of the early pioneers of European league football.

The league adopted the name Nationalliga A in 1931, before becoming the Swiss Super League in 2003. The modern format includes 12 teams playing 33 matches, followed by a championship/relegation phase.

The most successful Swiss clubs are Grasshopper Club Zürich and FC Basel, with Young Boys dominating in recent seasons.

League system

The Swiss Super League is the top tier of the Swiss football pyramid. Below it is the Challenge League (second division), followed by Promotion League (third tier), and regional amateur divisions.

Table 1. Swiss football tiers

League	Tier
Swiss Super League	1
Challenge League	2
Promotion League	3
1. Liga Classic	4
2. Liga Interregional	5

Below these levels, football continues through regional and amateur divisions.

Stats

Teams with most titles

The following clubs have won the most Swiss national championships since 1897.

Table 2. Swiss champions (multiple titles)

Club	Titles
Grasshopper Club Zürich	27
FC Basel	20
Servette	17
Young Boys	16+
FC Zürich	13
Lugano	3

Swiss football has historically been dominated by Grasshopper, Basel and Servette — while Young Boys now lead the modern era.

Teams with most league participation

These clubs have appeared the most seasons in the Swiss top division.

Table 3. Clubs and league participation

Club	Seasons
Grasshoppers	120+
Servette	110+
FC Basel	110+
FC Zürich	100+
Lugano	85+
Young Boys	80+

More than 60 clubs have played at least one season in Switzerland’s top division.

Audience

Stadium capacities

Table 4 lists some of the largest stadiums used in the Swiss Super League.

Table 4. Major stadium capacities in Switzerland

Team	Stadium	Capacity
Young Boys	Wankdorf Stadium	31,783
Basel	St. Jakob-Park	38,512
FC Zürich	Letzigrund	26,104
Grasshoppers	Letzigrund	26,104
Servette	Stade de Genève	30,084

Players

Top goalscorers & appearances

One of the greatest Swiss league scorers is Kubilay Türkyilmaz, with 195+ goals. Other high scorers include Fritz Künzli and Peter Risi.

Some of the players with the most appearances include André Muff, Reto Burri, and long-serving defenders from FC Zürich and Grasshoppers.

Famous players

Alexander Frei
Xherdan Shaqiri
Hakan Yakin
Benjamin Huggel
Stéphane Chapuisat
Marco Streller
Gökhan Inler
Denis Zakaria
Jan Koller (played for Grasshoppers)
Christian Constantin