The 2000–01 Swiss 1. Liga was the 69th season of this league since its creation in 1931. The 1. Liga was the third tier of the Swiss football league system and it was also the highest level of amateur football.
Format There were 48 teams in this division this season, including four U-21 teams, which were the eldest youth teams of the professional clubs in the Super League and the Challenge League. The 1. Liga was divided into three regional groups, each with 16 teams. Within each group, the teams would play a double round-robin to decide their positions in the league. The three group winners and the three runners-up then contested a play-off for the two promotion slots. The U-21 teams were not eligible for promotion and could not compete the play-offs. The two last placed teams in each group were directly relegated to the 2. Liga Interregional.
Group 1 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacityFC BexVaudRelaisCS ChênoisGenevaStade des Trois-ChêneFC ColombierNeuchâtelStade des ChézardsFC EchallensVaudSportplatz 3 SapinsGrand-Lancy FCGenevaStade de Marignac FC La Chaux-de-Fonds Neuchâtel Centre Sportif de la Charrière Lausanne-Sport U-21VaudStade Olympique de la PontaiseFC Martigny-SportsValaisStade d'OctodureFC MeyrinGenevaStade des ArbèresFC NatersValaisSportanlage StapfenFC SerrièresNeuchâtelPierre-à-BotServette U-21GenevaStade de GenèveFC Stade Lausanne OuchyVaudCentre sportif de VidyFC Stade NyonnaisVaudStade de ColovrayUS Terre SainteVaudCentre Sportif des RojaletsVevey SportsVaudStade de Copet
Final league table
Group 2 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacityFC AltstettenZürichBuchlernFC Biel-BienneBernStadion GurzelenFC BulleFribourgStade de BouleyresFC Concordia BaselBasel-CityStadion RankhofFC FribourgFribourgStade UniversitaireGrasshopper Club U-21ZürichGC/Campus NiederhasliFC GrenchenSolothurnStadium BrühlFC HorgenZürichWaldeggFC MünsingenBernSportanlage SandreutenenSV MuttenzBasel-CountrySportplatz MargelackerFC Red Star ZürichZürichAllmend BrunauFC SchaffhausenSchaffhausenStadion BreiteSV SchaffhausenSchaffhausenSportplatz BühlFC SchwamendingenZürichSportanlage Heerenschürli FC Wohlen Aargau Stadion Niedermatten SC YF JuventusZürichUtogrund
Final league table
Group 3 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacitySC BuochsNidwaldenStadion SeefeldFC ChiassoTicinoStadio Comunale Riva IVFC FreienbachSchwyzChrummenFC GossauSt. GallenSportanlage BuechenwaldFC KreuzlingenThurgauSportplatz HafenarealFC Malcantone AgnoTicinoCornaredo StadiumFC MendrisioTicinoCentro Sportivo ComunaleFC Rapperswil-JonaSt. GallenStadion GrünfeldFC RorschachSchwyzSportplatz KellenFC SchötzLucerneSportplatz WissenhusenSt. Gallen U-21St. GallenEspenmoosFC SurseeLucerneStadion SchlottermilchFC TuggenSchwyzLinthstrasseFC Vaduz LiechtensteinRheinpark StadionFC WidnauSt. GallenSportanlage AegetenZug 94ZugHerti Allmend Stadion
Final league table
Promotion play-off The three group winners and the runners-up contested this play-off for the two promotion slots. The U-21 teams were not eligible for this stage.
Qualification round
Vaduz win 5–4 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
Concordia win 3–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
4–4 on aggregate, Serrières win on away goals and continue to the finals.
Final round
Final table
Summary Group 1 champions were Serrières, runners-up were Stade Lausanne Ouchy. Group 2 champions were Concordia and runners-up were FC Schaffhausen. Group 3 champions were Vaduz, runners-up were Schötz. These six teams played a qualification and the three winners played a single round-robin to decide the two promotion slots. Concordia and Vaduz secured their promotion to the second tier. Concordia secured the 1. Liga championship.
From group 1 relegated were FC Martigny-Sports and US Terre Sainte. Relegated from group 2 were the two clubs FC Horgen and SV Muttenz and from group 3 the two teams FC Widnau and FC Sursee also suffered relegation. The remaining teams in the division were to be joined in following season by the six winners of the 2. Liga Interregional. These were Sion U-21, FC Baulmes, Basel U-21, Luzern U-21, Zürich U-21 and FC Chur 97.
See also 2000–01 Nationalliga A 2000–01 Swiss Cup
References
Sources 2000–01 at RSSSF Season 2000–01 at the official website