The 2025–26 Swiss Challenge League (referred to as the Dieci Challenge League for sponsoring reasons) is the 128th season of the second tier of competitive football in Switzerland and the 23rd season under its current name.
Teams
On 24 May 2025, Rapperswil-Jona returned to the Challenge League after a 6-year absence. On 22 May 2025, Yverdon-Sport, relegated from the Super League, returned to the second series after a two-year absence. They replace last season's Challenge League champions Thun, who returned to the top flight after a 5-year absence, and Schaffhausen, who were relegated to the Swiss Promotion League after 12 seasons in the Challenge League.
Team changes Promoted from2024–25 Swiss Promotion LeagueRelegated from2024–25 Swiss Super LeaguePromoted to2025–26 Swiss Super LeagueRelegated to2025-26 Swiss Promotion LeagueRapperswil-JonaYverdon-SportThunSchaffhausen
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity Ref FC Aarau Aarau Stadion Brügglifeld 8,000 AC Bellinzona Bellinzona Stadio Comunale 5,000 Étoile Carouge FC Carouge Stade de la Fontenette 3,600 FC Stade Lausanne-Ouchy Lausanne Stade Olympique 15,850 FC Rapperswil-Jona Rapperswil-Jona Stadion Grünfeld 3,200 FC Stade Nyonnais Nyon Stade de Colovray 7,200 FC Vaduz Vaduz Rheinpark Stadion 7,584 FC Wil 1900 Wil Lidl Arena 6,958 Neuchâtel Xamax Neuchâtel Stade de la Maladière 11,997 Yverdon-Sport Yverdon Stade Municipal 4,200
Cantons Team(s)3 Lausanne Ouchy, Nyon, Yverdon-Sport2 Rapperswil-Jona, Wil1 Aarau Vaduz Étoile Carouge Xamax Bellinzona
Personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorAarau Brunello Iacopetta Marco ThalerCraftAargauische KantonalbankBellinzona Giuseppe Sannino Dragan MihajlovićAcerbisDieciÉtoile Carouge Pedro Nogueira Signori AntónioAdidasScrasaLausanne Ouchy Dalibor Stevanović Edmond AkichiAdidasCronos FinanceNyon Andrea Binotto Melvin MastilAdidasDieciRapperswil-Jona Selcuk Sasivari Rijad SalijiMacronDieciVaduz Marc Schneider Nicolas HaslerPumaMBPIWil Marco Hämmerli Kastrijot NdauAdidasWeberPartnerXamax Anthony Braizat Eris AbediniCapelliGroupe EYverdon-Sport Martin Andermatt Anthony SauthierMacronNone
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Date of departure Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointmentBellinzona Giuseppe Sannino30 June 2025Pre-season Xavi Andrés Ibarra1 July 2025Étoile Carouge Adrian Ursea Pedro NogueiraYverdon-Sport Paolo Tramezzani Adrian UrseaBellinzona Xavi Andrés Ibarra23 July 2025 Manuel Benavente24 July 2025 Manuel Benavente24 October 202510th Giuseppe Sannino24 October 2025Rapperswil-Jona David Sesa2 November 20258th Selcuk Sasivari3 November 2025Yverdon-Sport Adrian Ursea9 March 20263rd Martin Andermatt9 March 2026
Table
Results
First and second rounds
Third and Fourth Rounds
Season statistics
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Shkelqim DemhasajXamax212 Elias FiletAarau203 Valon FazliuAarau14 Antonio MarchesanoYverdon5 Cleilton ItaitingaÉtoile Carouge136 Daniel AfriyieAarau12 Joris ManquantNyon
Assists RankPlayerClubAssists1 Valon FazliuAarau112 Elias PascheYverdon93 Dominik SchwizerVaduz84 Daniel AfriyieAarau7 Salim Ben SeghirXamax Landry NomelLausanne-Ouchy Anthony SauthierYverdon Hélios SessoloYverdon Willy VogtBellinzona
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Valon FazliuAarauNyon4-5 (A)22 August 2025 Joris ManquantNyonAarau4-5 (H)22 August 2025 Nathan GarciaLausanne-OuchyNyon3-3 (H)1 November 2025
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Gentrit MuslijaWil122 Leon SchaffranVaduz113 Marvin HübelAarau104 Kevin MartinYverdon85 Dany da SilvaLausanne-Ouchy7
Discipline
Most yellow cards: 14 Néhemie Lusuena (Lausanne-Ouchy)
Most red cards: 2 Duván Mosquera (Bellinzona)
Awards
Player of the Season : Elias Filet (Aarau) Coach of the Season : Marc Schneider (Vaduz)
Promotion play-off The promotion play-off between the eleventh placed team of the 2025–26 Swiss Super League and the runner up of the Swiss Challenge League will be held following the conclusion of the regular season. The play-off is held over two legs, played home and away, and was originally scheduled on the 20 and 23 May 2026. A draw held on 13 March 2026 decided that the Challenge League side will host the first leg and the Super League side will host the second leg.
Grasshopper's place in the play-off was confirmed on 12 May 2026, following a 3–2 home win against Winterthur. It will be their third consecutive participation in the relegation play-off. Aarau failed to secure direct promotion on the last matchday of the Challenge League on 15 May 2026, but will receive a second chance in the play-off. It will be a reprise of last year's play-off. The relegation play-off was pushed forward by two days, as eleventh placed Grasshopper's home ground Letzigrund would not be available on the date of the second leg. The new dates will be 18 and 21 May 2026.
First leg
Second leg
Grasshopper wins 2–1 on aggregate.
References
External links
Soccerway