The 1939–40 1. Liga season was the 9th season of the 1. Liga since its creation in 1931. At this time, the 1. Liga was the second-tier of the Swiss football league system. Due to the outbreak the Second World War on 1 September 1939 the start of the Swiss football championship was postponed until 22 October. The 1. Liga was postponed until December and it was completely reorganised for this season.

Overview Preamble In Switzerland during the second world war period, sport became an integral part of the "spiritual national defense". This was a political and cultural movement that had already become increasingly important during the late 1930s. Politicians, intellectuals and media professionals had increasingly called for measures to strengthen Switzerland's basic cultural values. Since the Nationalliga games were also considered to be one of the activities that seemed important for maintaining the morale of the population, the military authorities put considerably fewer obstacles in the way of the top players and leading clubs as they had during the previous World War.

Nevertheless, the outbreak of the Second World War, triggered by the German attack on Poland on 1 September 1939, was also a shock for Switzerland, although international signs had been pointing towards a war for some time. On 30 August, the Federal Assembly elected staff officer Henri Guisan as Commander-in-Chief of the Army. On 2 September, general mobilisation for war took place. The national exhibition in Zurich, during which the national football team had also played representative matches against teams from neighbouring countries, was closed for some time. The general mobilisation brought regular championship operations to a standstill, and in its place an improvised mobilisation championship was held without automatic promotion or relegation. In some cases the games could not be played or were postponed because the clubs did not have enough players available.

Format The 12 teams of the top-tier competed the improvised championship as in the years before. However, the 24 clubs that competed in the 1. Liga were re-organised. This season they were divided into five regional groups (as opposed to two in previous years), this was done to reduce travelling times. There were six teams in group 1 (West), five teams in group 2 (North-West), group 3 (Central) and group 4 (North-East), but only three in group 5 (South). The teams in group 1 played a double round-robin to decide their league position. The teams in the groups 2, 3 and 4 played three round-robins and the teams in group 5 played four round-robins. Two points were awarded for a win and one point was awarded for a draw. The five group winners then contested a play-off round to decide the championship. This contested of: a two legged semi-final for the two west group winners, a three team round-robin semi-final for the other groups and then there was to be a two legged-final for the title of 1. Liga champions.

Group 1 Teams, locations ClubBased inCantonStadiumCapacity Dopolavoro Genève Genève FC Monthey Monthey Stade Philippe Pottier FC Montreux-Sports Montreux Stade de Chailly FC Forward Morges Morges Parc des Sports Urania Genève Sport Genève Stade de Frontenex Vevey Sports Vevey Stade de Copet

Final league table

Group 2 Teams, locations ClubBased inCantonStadiumCapacity FC Bern Bern Stadion Neufeld US Bienne-Boujean Biel/Bienne FC Cantonal Neuchâtel Neuchâtel Stade de la Maladière FC Étoile-Sporting La Chaux-de-Fonds Les Foulets / Terrain des Eplatures / FC Fribourg Fribourg Stade Universitaire

Final league table

Group 3 Teams, locations ClubBased inCantonStadiumCapacity FC Aarau Aarau Stadion Brügglifeld FC Basel Basel Landhof FC Birsfelden Birsfelden Sternenfeld FC Concordia Basel Basel Stadion Rankhof FC Solothurn Solothurn Stadion FC Solothurn

Final league table

Group 4 Teams, locations ClubBased inCantonStadiumCapacity FC Blue Stars Zürich Zürich Hardhof SC Brühl St. Gallen Paul-Grüninger-Stadion SC Juventus Zürich Zürich Utogrund SC Zug Zug Herti Allmend Stadion FC Zürich Zürich Letzigrund

Final league table

Group 5 Teams, locations ClubBased inCantonStadiumCapacity AC Bellinzona Bellinzona Stadio Comunale Bellinzona FC Chiasso Chiasso Stadio Comunale Riva IV FC Locarno Locarno Stadio comunale Lido

Final league table

The matches Bellinzona–Locarno and Chiasso–Bellinzona were not played as they were irrelevant in determining the team classified in the final phase.

Championship play-off Semi-finals The winners of the groups 1 and 2 played their matches on 30 June and 7 July 1940.

Vevey did not play the match because the team had too few players due to the mobilisation. The game was awarded 0–3 for Fribourg

Fribourg won and advanced to the final.

The three other group winners played a three team round-robin for the other finalist.

Due to the egality between two teams a play-off decider was required. This was played on 7 July in Basel.

Final The games in the final were played on 4 and 11 August 1940.

Due to the egality, one win each, a replay was required. This was played at Stadion Neufeld in Bern on 18 August.

Basel won the 1. Liga championship title.

Further in Swiss football 1939–40 Nationalliga 1939–40 Swiss Cup 1939–40 FC Basel season

References

Sources Switzerland 1939–40 at RSSSF