After years of dominance

The Swiss Super League does not have a reputation for being competitive. Across the last 21 seasons - since the league was rebranded in 2003 - there have been three different champions, Young Boys who have won six Super League Championships (all in the last seven years), Basel who have won 11 Super League Championships (all in the first 14 editions) and Zurich who have won it four times.

🔥 🇨🇭 Swiss Super League with an amazing title race!

🇨🇭 Basel - 42 pts (27%)
🇨🇭 Lugano - 42 pts (30%)
🇨🇭 Luzern - 42 pts (8%)
🇨🇭 Servette - 42 pts (23%)

📈 Goal difference is the first tiebreaker if teams are tied on points.

(% to win title per @EuroClubIndex) pic.twitter.com/OD265B2fXe

— Football Rankings (@FootRankings) March 1, 2025

Fresh life has been brought to the 2024/25 campaign, though, as we could see a new Super League Champion dethrone Young Boys. The top four (coincidentally the four European spots given to the league) are within three points of each other, and before last weekend were incredibly all on 42 points after 25 games. With 13 matches left to spare, who will lift the title and who will be left with a Conference League qualifying round tie as a consolation?

The Swiss top flight has a history dating back to 1898 and has seen 19 different clubs crowned champions since that date, however, this article will concentrate on the Super League era. Since 2023, the division has adopted the ‘Scottish Model’, meaning that the 12-team league will split in half after 33 matches. With this season’s close nature, eight points separate first and seventh, meaning that any team in the top eight group (⅔ of the league) could still realistically become champions or end up in the bottom six’s ‘relegation group’.

A return to the glory days for FC Basel

Basel tops the table with an overwhelmingly dominant goal difference of +25, the club’s lack of involvement in European competition for the first time in 25 years has clearly driven them to seek revenge after FCB finished a lowly 8th last campaign, their lowest finish since 1998. The former Champions League regulars have been frustrated in recent years with their top goalscorers being sold year in year out (e.g. Albian Ajeti 2019, Arthur Cabral 2022, Zeki Amdouni 2023 and Thierno Barry 2024).

Xherdan Shaqiri and Albian Ajeti are back at the club and scoring, others like Benie Traore and Kevin Carlos are also having star seasons. Losing just once in 2025, if Basel keeps up their form, they are the likely candidates to take home the cup for the first time in eight years.

In other news, Xherdan Shaqiri scored a hat trick today for Basel, including a 90th minute winner 🔥 ⚽️

Great to see former Liverpool players doing well 👊 pic.twitter.com/XUeQw2r723

— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) November 24, 2024

FC Lugano's 70+ year wait for a fourth title

Lugano dramatically dropped from second to fourth last weekend and are now the ‘outsiders’ three points off the top. The Bianconeri have become consistent performers over the last few seasons, often gaining European qualifying, but just over 20 years ago the club declared bankruptcy and were removed from the top division.

Last year's runners-up have not won a top flight championship since 1949 but won the Swiss Cup in 2022, their first trophy in almost 30 years. Unlike Basel, Lugano have had the added Conference League fixtures to their schedule, including a tie against Celje this Thursday. Renato Steffen and Mattia Zanotti have proved to be a brilliant partnership on the right wing this season, with 24 goal contributions shared between the winger and fullback duo.

Just a second ever championship for FC Luzern?

Luzern are another club that could just fall short this campaign, the Lights have the least amount of history when it comes to table topping successes, winning the Swiss Championship once in 1988/89. Young Togolese striker Thibault Klidjé has put himself amongst the list of hot talents currently in the Super League. Inter Milan loanee Aleksandar Stankovic has also had the opportunity to gain plenty of valuable experience at 19, operating in the heart of Luzern’s defensive midfield. The Central Swiss side are two points from the top in third and have a huge fixture coming up this Sunday against first placed Basel.

Aleksandar Stanković (2005) is an 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 footballer.

The FC Luzern defensive midfielder is remarkably intelligent and mature in his actions.

He is highly composed on the ball and possesses the security of a 30-year-old in possession.

Soon, he must decide… pic.twitter.com/tFlNMgVbbH

— Emir - Scouting (@EKscouting) February 9, 2025

Servette FC's comeback dream

Unlike the prior two teams, Servette FC have won 17 top flight titles, however, the last came 26 years ago. Servette have had a captivating story since then, from bankruptcy to their under 21s representing them in the third tier. The Maroons have been rejuvenated since promotion to the top flight in 2019, appearing in Europe, winning the Swiss Cup and finishing runners up in the league all in the last couple of seasons.

The Genevan side are in second place, joint on points with Basel, help from the likes of Dereck Kutesa and Miroslav Stevanovic on either side of Servette’s midfield have fired Servette to the top of the table, and a Super League title would cap off a manic 21st century in the best fashion.

Former dominants Young Boys in the bottom half of the table, three potential first time Super League Champions, 2023 second tier champions FC Lausanne-Sport possibly getting Europe, there are so many storylines to follow ahead of the Swiss Super League run in. All four aforementioned teams are in action again this Sunday, on another gameweek that could see any of the top four in any spot come the end of the day.