# 1980–81 Nationalliga A

The following is the summary of the Swiss National League in the 1980–81 football season, both Nationalliga A and Nationalliga B. This was the 85th season of top-tier and the 84th season of second-tier football in Switzerland.

## Overview

The Swiss Football Association (ASF/SFV) had 28 members at this time. The clubs were divided into two tiers of 14 teams each. The top tier was named Nationalliga A (NLA) and the second tier was named Nationalliga B (NLB). The format in both divisions was that the teams played a double round-robin to decide their table positions. Each club playing every other club twice (home and away) for a total of 26 rounds. Two points were awarded for a win and one point was awarded for a draw. The Swiss champions would qualify for the 1981–82 European Cup, the runners-up and third placed team would qualify for the 1981–82 UEFA Cup.
There was to be an expansion from 28 to 32 members of the ASF/SFV at the end of this season, with new 16 teams in each division. Therefore, this season would only see one club from the NLA relegated to the second-tier. The top three placed teams in the NLB would be promoted to the top tier. Only one team from the NLB was relegated to next season's 1. Liga. Five teams from this season's 1. Liga would be promoted to make up the numbers.

## Nationalliga A

The first round of the NLA was played on 23 August 1980. There was a winter break between 6 December and 28 February 1981. The season was completed on 13 June 1981.

### Teams, locations

| Team | Town | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Basel | Basel | Basel-Stadt | St. Jakob Stadium | 36,800 |
| AC Bellinzona | Bellinzona | Ticino | Stadio Comunale Bellinzona | 5,000 |
| CS Chênois | Thônex | Geneva | Stade des Trois-Chêne | 8,000 |
| FC Chiasso | Chiasso | Ticino | Stadio Comunale Riva IV | 4,000 |
| Grasshopper Club | Zürich | Zürich | Hardturm | 20,000 |
| Lausanne-Sports | Lausanne | Vaud | Pontaise | 15,700 |
| FC Luzern | Lucerne | Lucerne | Stadion Allmend | 25,000 |
| Neuchâtel Xamax | Neuchâtel | Neuchâtel | Stade de la Maladière | 25,500 |
| Nordstern Basel | Basel | Basel-Stadt | Rankhof | 7,600 |
| FC St. Gallen | St. Gallen | St. Gallen | Espenmoos | 11,000 |
| Servette | Geneva | Geneva | Stade des Charmilles | 27,000 |
| FC Sion | Sion | Valais | Stade de Tourbillon | 16,000 |
| Young Boys | Bern | Bern | Wankdorf Stadium | 56,000 |
| FC Zürich | Zürich | Zürich | Letzigrund | 25,000 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Zürich | 26 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 57 | 28 | +29 | 40 | Champions, qualified for 1981–82 European Cup and entered 1981 Intertoto Cup |
| 2 | Grasshopper Club | 26 | 11 | 12 | 3 | 45 | 24 | +21 | 34 | qualified for 1981–82 UEFA Cup and entered 1981 Intertoto Cup |
| 3 | Xamax | 26 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 44 | 25 | +19 | 34 | qualified for 1981–82 UEFA Cup |
| 4 | Young Boys | 26 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 46 | 33 | +13 | 33 | entered 1981 Intertoto Cup |
| 5 | Lausanne-Sport | 26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 40 | 29 | +11 | 30 | Swiss Cup winners, qualified for 1981–82 Cup Winners' Cup |
| 6 | Basel | 26 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 48 | 44 | +4 | 28 | |
| 7 | Servette | 26 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 38 | 36 | +2 | 26 | |
| 8 | Sion | 26 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 35 | 42 | −7 | 24 | |
| 9 | Luzern | 26 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 39 | 46 | −7 | 22 | entered 1981 Intertoto Cup |
| 10 | St. Gallen | 26 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 35 | 42 | −7 | 22 | |
| 11 | Nordstern Basel | 26 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 28 | 37 | −9 | 19 | |
| 12 | Bellinzona | 26 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 25 | 46 | −21 | 19 | |
| 13 | Chiasso | 26 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 28 | 46 | −18 | 18 | |
| 14 | Chênois | 26 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 53 | −30 | 15 | Relegated to 1981–82 Nationalliga B |

### Results

| Home \ Away | BAS | BEL | CHÊ | CHI | GCZ | LS | LUZ | NX | NOR | SER | SIO | STG | YB | ZÜR |
| Basel | | 4–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 4–4 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 |
| Bellinzona | 1–1 | | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 4–1 |
| Chênois | 2–2 | 2–1 | | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–4 | 0–0 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–3 |
| Chiasso | 3–0 | 5–1 | 0–0 | | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 |
| Grasshopper | 2–2 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| Lausanne-Sports | 2–2 | 3–0 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 |
| Luzern | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Neuchâtel Xamax | 3–2 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 4–0 | 3–0 | | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 |
| Nordstern Basel | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 0–0 | | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| Servette | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 1–2 |
| Sion | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–3 | | 4–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 |
| St. Gallen | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 5–4 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | | 2–2 | 3–1 |
| Young Boys | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 3–1 | | 0–0 |
| Zürich | 1–3 | 3–1 | 6–0 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | |

## Nationalliga B

The first round of the NLB was played on 23 August 1980. There was a winter break between 6 December and 28 February 1981. The season was completed on 13 June 1981.

### Teams, locations

| Team | Town | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Aarau | Aarau | Aargau | Stadion Brügglifeld | 9,240 |
| FC Bern | Bern | Bern | Stadion Neufeld | 14,000 |
| FC Biel-Bienne | Biel/Bienne | Bern | Stadion Gurzelen | 15,000 |
| FC Bulle | Bulle | Fribourg | Stade de Bouleyres | 7,000 |
| FC Frauenfeld | Frauenfeld | Thurgau | Kleine Allmend | 6,370 |
| FC Fribourg | Fribourg | Fribourg | Stade Universitaire | 9,000 |
| FC Grenchen | Grenchen | Solothurn | Stadium Brühl | 15,100 |
| SC Kriens | Kriens | Lucerne | Stadion Kleinfeld | 5,100 |
| FC La Chaux-de-Fonds | La Chaux-de-Fonds | Neuchâtel | Centre Sportif de la Charrière | 12,700 |
| FC Lugano | Lugano | Ticino | Cornaredo Stadium | 6,330 |
| Mendrisiostar | Mendrisio | Ticino | Centro Sportivo Comunale | 4,000 |
| Vevey Sports | Vevey | Vaud | Stade de Copet | 4,000 |
| FC Wettingen | Wettingen | Aargau | Stadion Altenburg | 10,000 |
| FC Winterthur | Winterthur | Zürich | Schützenwiese | 8,550 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Vevey-Sports | 26 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 59 | 29 | +30 | 50 | NLB Champions promoted to 1981–82 Nationalliga A |
| 2 | FC Aarau | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 55 | 37 | +18 | 49 | Promoted to 1981–82 Nationalliga A |
| 3 | FC Bulle | 26 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 45 | 30 | +15 | 47 | Promoted to 1981–82 Nationalliga A |
| 4 | FC Wettingen | 26 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 45 | 25 | +20 | 44 | |
| 5 | FC Frauenfeld | 26 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 47 | 29 | +18 | 42 | |
| 6 | FC Bern | 26 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 43 | 40 | +3 | 34 | |
| 7 | FC Fribourg | 26 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 24 | 33 | −9 | 32 | |
| 8 | FC Winterthur | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 40 | 47 | −7 | 33 | |
| 9 | FC Grenchen | 26 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 32 | 42 | −10 | 33 | |
| 10 | Lugano | 26 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 42 | 56 | −14 | 28 | |
| 11 | FC Biel-Bienne | 26 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 41 | 52 | −11 | 29 | |
| 12 | FC La Chaux-de-Fonds | 26 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 24 | 37 | −13 | 25 | |
| 13 | Mendrisiostar | 26 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 23 | 35 | −12 | 24 | |
| 14 | SC Kriens | 26 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 31 | 59 | −28 | 21 | Relegated to 1981–82 1. Liga |

## Further in Swiss football

* 1980–81 Swiss Cup
* 1980–81 Swiss 1. Liga