# 1936–37 Nationalliga

The following is the summary of the Swiss National League in the 1936–37 football season. This was the 40th season of top-tier football in Switzerland.

## Overview

For this season, the Swiss Football Association (ASF/SFV) had been reduced from 14 to 13 member clubs in the top-tier and 24 clubs in the second-tier. This was one Nationalliga team fewer than in the previous season, this because the league format was being modified. Next season would see the number of teams in the top-tier again reduced to just 12 teams. From then onwards the format would remain unchanged.
The 13 top-tier teams played a double round-robin to decide their league table positions. Two points were awarded for a win and one point was awarded for a draw. The first placed team at the end of the season would be awarded the Swiss championship title and the last two placed teams would be relegated to the 1937–38 1. Liga. As only one team from the second tier 1. Liga would achieve promotion this season, the ASF/SFV would complete their modification of the Nationalliga for next season.

## Nationalliga

The league season began with the first matchday on 30 August 1936 and was concluded with the last round on 6 June 1937.

### Teams, locations

| Team | Based in | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Basel | Basel | Basel-Stadt | Landhof | 4,000 |
| FC Bern | Bern | Bern | Stadion Neufeld | 14,000 |
| FC Biel-Bienne | Biel/Bienne | Bern | Stadion Gurzelen | 5,500 |
| Grasshopper Club Zürich | Zürich | Zürich | Hardturm | 20,000 |
| FC La Chaux-de-Fonds | La Chaux-de-Fonds | Neuchâtel | Centre Sportif de la Charrière | 12,700 |
| FC Lausanne-Sport | Lausanne | Vaud | Pontaise | 30,000 |
| FC Lugano | Lugano | Ticino | Cornaredo Stadium | 6,330 |
| FC Luzern | Lucerne | Lucerne | Stadion Allmend | 25,000 |
| FC Nordstern Basel | Basel | Basel-Stadt | Rankhof | 7,600 |
| Servette FC | Geneva | Geneva | Stade des Charmilles | 27,000 |
| FC St. Gallen | St. Gallen | St. Gallen | Espenmoos | 11,000 |
| BSC Young Boys | Bern | Bern | Wankdorf Stadium | 56,000 |
| FC Young Fellows | Zürich | Zürich | Utogrund | 2,850 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Grasshopper Club | 24 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 68 | 32 | +36 | 36 | Swiss Champions and Swiss Cup winners |
| 2 | Young Boys | 24 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 61 | 36 | +25 | 29 | |
| 3 | Young Fellows Zürich | 24 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 57 | 53 | +4 | 28 | |
| 4 | Luzern | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 44 | 45 | −1 | 28 | |
| 5 | Biel-Bienne | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 45 | 37 | +8 | 27 | |
| 6 | Lugano | 24 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 57 | 54 | +3 | 26 | |
| 7 | Servette | 24 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 55 | 47 | +8 | 25 | |
| 8 | Lausanne-Sport | 24 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 56 | 40 | +16 | 23 | |
| 9 | Bern | 24 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 42 | 44 | −2 | 22 | |
| 10 | Nordstern Basel | 24 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 42 | 50 | −8 | 21 | |
| 11 | Basel | 24 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 30 | 42 | −12 | 20 | To play-out against relegation |
| 12 | La Chaux-de-Fonds | 24 | 9 | 2 | 13 | 54 | 61 | −7 | 20 | To play-out against relegation |
| 13 | St. Gallen | 24 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 32 | 102 | −70 | 7 | Relegated to 1937–38 1. Liga |
As Grasshopper Club had already won the Swiss Cup three months earlier, on 29 March, the team won the domestic Double in this season. This was the clubs eighth league title and their second Double to this date.

### Results

| Home \ Away | BAS | BER | BB | CDF | GCZ | LS | LUG | LUZ | NOR | SER | STG | YB | YFZ |
| Basel | | 2–2 | 0–5 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 |
| Bern | 1–0 | | 1–1 | 3–7 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 10–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 |
| Biel-Bienne | 2–0 | 3–0 | | 3–0 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 |
| La Chaux-de-Fonds | 0–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | | 2–4 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 2–5 | 1–0 |
| Grasshopper Club | 4–0 | 2–0 | 6–1 | 5–1 | | 5–2 | 6–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 6–0 |
| Lausanne-Sports | 3–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 4–3 | 2–3 | | 3–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 15–2 | 0–1 | 3–2 |
| Lugano | 2–1 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 8–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | | 2–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 |
| Luzern | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | | 1–2 | 2–1 | 6–1 | 4–2 | 2–4 |
| Nordstern Basel | 1–3 | 6–2 | 0–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 6–3 | 1–1 | | 2–3 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 |
| Servette | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–6 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 7–1 | 3–1 | | 8–0 | 1–3 | 3–4 |
| St. Gallen | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 1–2 | 4–4 | 0–5 | 1–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 2–4 | | 0–1 | 1–4 |
| Young Boys | 1–2 | 1–2 | 4–4 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 9–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 7–1 | | 3–0 |
| Young Fellows | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 5–3 | 5–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 3–4 | |

### Play-out against relegation

The twelfth position was the relegation slot. Because Basel and La Chaux-de-Fonds ended the season level on points in joint eleventh/twelfth position, a play-out against relegation was required. The play-out took place on 13 June 1937 at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern.
Because the match ended in a draw after extra time and since practices such as penalty shootouts or the "golden goal" were still unknown at the time, a replay was required. The replay took place at the Stadion Neufeld in Bern one week later.
Basel won and remained in the division for the next season. La Chaux-de-Fonds were relegated to 1937–38 1. Liga.

### Topscorers

| Rank | Player | Goals | Club |
| 1. | Alessandro Frigerio | 23 | Young Fellows |
| 2. | Willy Jäggi | 21 | Lausanne-Sports |
| 2. | István Grósz | 19 | Servette |
| 4. | Xam Abegglen | 18 | Grasshopper Club |
| 4. | Albert Büche | 18 | Nordstern Basel |
| 4. | Eugen "Genia" Walaschek | 18 | Servette |
| 7. | Aldo Poretti | 15 | Young Boys |
| 7. | Stefanovic | 15 | Lugano |

## Further in Swiss football

* 1936–37 Swiss Cup
* 1936–37 Swiss 1. Liga