The 1996–97 Swiss 1. Liga was the 65th season of this league since its creation in 1931. At this time, the 1. Liga was the third tier of the Swiss football league system and it was the highest level of amateur football.
Format There were 56 clubs in the 1. Liga, divided into four regional groups of 14 teams. Within each group, the teams would play a double round-robin to decide their league position. The four group winners and the four runners-up then contested a play-off for the two promotion slots. The two last placed teams in each group were directly relegated to the 2. Liga (fourth tier). The four third-last placed teams would compete a play-out against the ninth relegation place.
Group 1 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacityFC BexVaudRelaisFC BulleFribourgStade de BouleyresFC Central FribourgFribourgGuintzetCS ChênoisGenevaStade des Trois-ChêneFC EchallensVaudSportplatz 3 SapinsFC FribourgFribourgStade UniversitaireGrand-Lancy FCGenevaStade de MarignacFC Martigny-SportsValaisStade d'OctodureFC MontheyValaisStade Philippe PottierFC Montreux-SportsVaudStade de ChaillyFC RenensWaadtZone sportive du CensuyFC Stade LausanneVaudCentre sportif de VidyFC Stade NyonnaisVaudStade de ColovrayVevey SportsVaudStade de Copet
Final league table
Group 2 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacityFC Biel-BienneBernStadion GurzelenSC Bümpliz 78BernBodenweidFC ColombierNeuchâtelStade des ChézardsFC GrenchenSolothurnStadium BrühlFC Klus-BalsthalSolothurnSportplatz MoosFC KönizBernSportplatz Liebefeld-Hessgut FC La Chaux-de-Fonds Neuchâtel Centre Sportif de la Charrière SV LyssBernSportzentrum GrienFC MünsingenBernSportanlage SandreutenenFC NatersValaisSportanlage StapfenFC NoiraigueNeuchâtelCentre Sportif NoiraigueFC SerrièresNeuchâtelPierre-à-BotFC ThunBernStadion LachenFC Wangen bei OltenSolothurnSportplatz Chrüzmatt
Final league table
Group 3 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacityFC AsconaTicinoStadio Comunale AsconaAC BellinzonaTicinoStadio Comunale BellinzonaSC BuochsNidwaldenStadion SeefeldFC ChiassoTicinoStadio Comunale Riva IVFC Concordia BaselBasel-CityStadion RankhofFC HochdorfLucerneArenaFC MendrisioTicinoCentro Sportivo ComunaleFC MuriAargauStadion BrühlSV MuttenzBasel-CountrySportplatz MargelackerFC RiehenBasel-CitySportplatz GrendelmatteFC SchötzLucerneSportplatz WissenhusenFC SuhrAargauHofstattmattenFC SurseeLucerneStadion SchlottermilchZug 94ZugHerti Allmend Stadion
Final league table
Group 4 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacityFC AltstettenZürichBuchlernFC Balzers LiechtensteinSportplatz RheinauFC BülachZürichStadion ErachfeldFC DübendorfZürichZelgliFC FrauenfeldThurgauKleine AllmendFC FreienbachSchwyzChrummenFC GlarusGlarusBuchholzFC Rapperswil-JonaSt. GallenStadion GrünfeldFC Red Star ZürichZürichAllmend BrunauFC RorschachSchwyzSportplatz KellenSV SchaffhausenSchaffhausenSportplatz BühlFC TuggenSchwyzLinthstrasseFC Vaduz LiechtensteinRheinpark StadionSC YF JuventusZürichUtogrund
Final league table
Promotion play-off Qualification round
Serrières win 4–3 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
Thun win 3–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
Tuggen win 8–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
SV Schaffhausen win 3–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
Final round
Thun win 2–1 on aggregate and are promoted to Nationalliga B.
4–4 on aggregate. SV Schaffhausen win on away goals and are promoted to Nationalliga B.
Relegation play-out First round
Bex continue to the final.
FC Dübendorf continue to the final.
Final round
Bex win 8–5 on aggregate. FC Dübendorf are relegated to 2. Liga.
See also 1996–97 Nationalliga A 1996–97 Nationalliga B 1996–97 Swiss Cup
References
Sources Switzerland 1996–97 at RSSSF