1996–97 in Swiss football

The following is a summary of the 1996–97 season of competitive football in Switzerland.

Championship group
The first eight teams of the qualification phase competed in the Championship round. The teams took half of the points (rounded up to complete units) gained in the qualification as bonus with them.

Promotion/relegation group NLA/NLB
The teams in the ninth to twelfth positions in Nationalliga A competed with the top four teams of Nationalliga B in a Nationalliga A/B promotion/relegation round.

Relegation group NLB/1. Liga
The last eight teams of the qualification phase competed in the relegation group against relegation to the 1. Liga. The teams took half of the points (rounded up to complete units) gained in the qualification as bonus with them.

Qualification round
 Serrières win 4–3 on aggregate and continue to the finals.

 Thun win 3–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.

 Tuggen win 8–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.

 SV Schaffhausen win 3–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.

Final round
 Thun win 2–1 on aggregate and are promoted to Nationalliga B.

'' 4–4 on aggregate. SV Schaffhausen win on away goals and are promoted to Nationalliga B.''

First round
 Bex continue to the final.

 FC Dübendorf continue to the final.

Final round
'' Bex win 8–5 on aggregate. FC Dübendorf are relegated to 2. Liga.''

Swiss Cup
Clubs that were playing in the European competitions were given a bye in round 4. The route of the finalists to the final:
 * Round 4: Sion bye. Grenchen-Luzern 0–3
 * Round 5: FC Riehen-Sion 0–2. Lugano-Luzern 0–3.
 * Round 6: Sion-Grasshopper Club 2–1. Monthey-Luzern 2–3.
 * Quarter-finals: Sion-St. Gallen 5–0. Étoile Carouge-Luzern 0–6.
 * Semi-finals: Sion-Fribourg 5–2. Luzern-FC Schaffhausen 2–1

Swiss Clubs in Europe

 * Grasshopper Club as 1995–96 Nationalliga A champions: 1996–97 Champions League qualifying round
 * Sion as 1995–96 Swiss Cup winners: qualifying round of the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
 * Xamax as third placed team in the league: qualifying round of the 1996–97 UEFA Cup
 * Aarau as fourth placed team: qualifying round of the 1996–97 UEFA Cup
 * Luzern: 1996 UEFA Intertoto Cup
 * Basel: 1996 UEFA Intertoto Cup
 * Vaduz as 1995–96 Liechtenstein Cup winners: qualifying round of the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Qualifying round
Grasshopper won 6–0 on aggregate.

Group Stage / Group A

 * Table

Qualifying round
Sion won 4–2 on aggregate.

First round
Sion won 6–0 on aggregate.

Second round
Liverpool won 8–4 on aggregate.

Qualifaying round
Neuchâtel Xamax won 6–1 on aggregate.

First round
Neuchâtel Xamax won 2–1 on aggregate.

Second round
Helsingborg won 3–1 on aggregate.

Qualifaying round
Aarau won 4–2 on aggregate.

First round
Brøndby won 7–0 on aggregate.

Group 6, matches

 * Table

Group 7, matches

 * Table

Qualifying round
''2–2 on aggregate. Vaduz won 4–2 on penalties.''

Round 1
Paris Saint-Germain won 7–0 on aggregate.