The 2001–02 Swiss 1. Liga was the 70th 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, even though there was an ever-increasing number of clubs in this league that played with professional or semi-professional players.
Format There were 48 teams in this division this season, including eight 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 last placed team in each group were directly relegated to the 2. Liga Interregional.
Group 1 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacityFC BaulmesVaudStade Sous-VilleFC 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 NatersValaisSportanlage StapfenFC MeyrinGenevaStade des ArbèresFC SerrièresNeuchâtelPierre-à-BotServette U-21GenevaStade de GenèveSion U-21ValaisStade de TourbillonFC Stade Lausanne OuchyVaudCentre sportif de VidyFC Stade NyonnaisVaudStade de ColovrayVevey SportsVaudStade de Copet
Final league table
Group 2 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacityFC AltstettenZürichBuchlernBasel U-21Basel-CityStadion Rankhof orLeichtathletik-Stadion St. JakobFC Biel-BienneBernStadion GurzelenFC BulleFribourgStade de BouleyresFC FribourgFribourgStade UniversitaireGrasshopper Club U-21ZürichGC/Campus NiederhasliFC GrenchenSolothurnStadium BrühlFC MünsingenBernSportanlage SandreutenenFC Red Star ZürichZürichAllmend BrunauFC SchaffhausenSchaffhausenStadion BreiteSV SchaffhausenSchaffhausenSportplatz BühlFC SolothurnSolothurnStadion FC SolothurnFC SchwamendingenZürichSportanlage HeerenschürliFC Wangen bei OltenSolothurnSportplatz ChrüzmattSC YF JuventusZürichUtogrundZürich U-21ZürichSportplatz Heerenschürli
Final league table
Decider The two teams Solothurn and Young Fellows Juventus ended the season level on points and so they had to play a decision match to resolve second position and the play-off slot. This match was played on May 21, 2002, in Sursee.
SC Young Fellows Juventus win and advance, as group runner-up, to play-offs.
Group 3 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacitySC BuochsNidwaldenStadion SeefeldFC ChiassoTicinoStadio Comunale Riva IVFC Chur 97GrisonsRingstrasseFC FreienbachSchwyzChrummenFC GossauSt. GallenSportanlage BuechenwaldFC KreuzlingenThurgauSportplatz HafenarealLuzern U-21LucerneStadion Allmend orAllmend SüdFC Malcantone AgnoTicinoCornaredo StadiumFC MendrisioTicinoCentro Sportivo ComunaleFC Rapperswil-JonaSt. GallenStadion GrünfeldFC RorschachSchwyzSportplatz KellenFC SchötzLucerneSportplatz WissenhusenSt. Gallen U-21St. GallenEspenmoosFC TuggenSchwyzLinthstrasse FC Wohlen Aargau Stadion Niedermatten Zug 94ZugHerti Allmend Stadion
Final league table
Promotion play-off The three group winners and the three runners-up contested this play-off for the two promotion slots. The U-21 teams were not eligible for this stage.
Qualification round
Wohlen win 6–3 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
3–3 on aggregate, Young Fellows Juventus win on away goals and continue to the finals.
Schaffhausen win 5–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
Final round
Final table
Summary Group 1 champions were Colombier, runners-up were Serrières. Group 2 champions were Schaffhausen and runners-up were Young Fellows Juventus. Group 3 champions were Malcantone, runners-up were Wohlen. These six teams played a qualification and the three winners played a single round-robin to decide the two promotion slots. Wohlen and Schaffhausen secured their promotion to the second tier. Wohlen were 1. Liga champions.
From group 1 relegated were Lausanne-Sport U-21 and Sion U-21. Relegated from group 2 were the two clubs Red Star and Schwamendingen and from group 3 the two teams Freienbach and Rorschach also suffered relegation. The remaining teams in the division were to be joined in following season by ES Malley, Martigny-Sports, Zofingen, Aarau U-21, Biaschesi and Frauenfeld, each of which had won their 2. Liga Interregional groups.
See also 2001–02 Nationalliga A 2001–02 Swiss Cup
References
Sources 2001–02 at RSSSF Season 2001–02 at the official website