2012–13 Swiss Challenge League

The 2012–13 Swiss Challenge League was the tenth season of the Swiss Challenge League, the second tier of the Swiss football league pyramid. It began on 14 July 2012 and ended on 2 June 2013.

Teams

2011–12 Challenge League champions St. Gallen were promoted to the [2012–13 Switzerland|Swiss Super League|2012–13 Super League]. They weren't replaced by another team due to Neuchâtel Xamax being demoted to the 4th tier of Swiss football for financial irregularities. 2011–12 Challenge League runners-up Aarau had to compete in a promotion/relegation playoff against 9th-placed Super League team Sion and remained in the Challenge League after losing 3–1 on aggregate.
The bottom five teams – Stade Nyonnais, Étoile Carouge, Delémont, Kriens and Brühl – were relegated to the newly formed 1. Liga Promotion with no teams replaced them due to the Challenge League reducing from 16 to 10 teams.

Teams played each other four times over the course of the season, home and away, for a total of 36 matches per team.

First goal of the season: Gezim Shalaj for Lugano against Wil '
Fastest goal of the season: Mirko Facchinetti for Chiasso against Bellinzona '
Largest winning margin: 8 goals
*Bellinzona 8–0 Wil '
Highest scoring game: 8 goals
*Vaduz 5–3 Aarau '
*Aarau 5–3 Wohlen '
*Bellinzona 8–0 Wil '
*Locarno 2–6 Bellinzona '
Most goals scored by a single team: 8 goals
*Bellinzona 8–0 Wil '
Most goals scored by a losing team: 3 goals
*Vaduz 5–3 Aarau '
*Aarau 5–3 Wohlen '
*Lugano 4–3 Bellinzona ''''