Today the 20 club representatives of the Swiss Football League decided on a league reform. The top division will be expanded from 10 to 12 teams from the 2023/24 season. In addition, the introduction of play-offs was voted on.
The Swiss league wants more excitement, more top fights and more FCZ vs. YB – Blerim Dzemaili (FCZ, front) vs. Lewin Blum (YB).
At its extraordinary general assembly in Ittigen, the Swiss Football League decided on a drastic change in the format of the Super League. From the 2023/24 season, the top league of Swiss professional football will consist of twelve clubs instead of the previous ten.
In addition, there will be play-offs for titles, international starting places and against relegation for the first time. In two years’ time, the Swiss champion will be determined in a play-off procedure, just like in ice hockey.
? Update: After the increase to 12 clubs, the club representatives also determined the future mode of the Super League. After a 32-round regular round, deciders for the title, European starting places and against relegation will be played. pic.twitter.com/DtvxcPF4Rg
— Swiss Football League (@News_SFL) May 20, 2022
Something like that would be unthinkable in the top leagues. They have 18 or 20 teams that compete in a first and second half. Without frills. In smaller leagues, on the other hand, the mode is being debated – as in Belgium, Austria or Scotland. Austria separates, for example mid-season, split the table in half and split the points to narrow the gaps. This fertilizes the championship race, but makes the lower half less attractive. This is reminiscent of the Swiss mode before 2003/04, when the first 8 teams played in a final round for the championship title in the spring after a point sharing.
In the first half of the season, the 12 teams play each other twice in 22 rounds. After that, the table is split in half. From now on, the first six remain among themselves and play against each other twice in 10 rounds. The same goes for the last six. That makes 32 games each, four fewer than before.
The mode proposal for the Super League from 2023/24
12 teams play a first and second half, after that the table is divided into two halves. After another 10 rounds, the championship title and the European Cup places will be awarded in the play-off system.
After 32 rounds, the top two in the table determine the title in the play-off in a best-of-3 series. The leader has home advantage in games 1 and possibly 3. Eight other clubs are playing for the European Cup places. These are the remaining four teams in the top half of the table and the top four in the bottom half. There would be 3 rounds: Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Final. The pairings result from the classifications that have been achieved after the division of the table. The best placed plays against the last – analogous to ice hockey.
There is no change on this question. The bottom of the table in the Super League is relegated directly and is replaced by the winner of the Challenge League. The second from last is measured in a barrage (return leg) with the second in the Challenge League.
Looking forward to the 2023/24 season, the next season would be the season of transition. The top two in the Challenge League are promoted. And the last in the Super League has to assert itself in a barrage against the third in the Challenge League. The league assembly votes on this separately.