First Division – final stage. Since the teams carried only half of their first-stage points to the final stage, theoretically ever team had equal chance to win the title, no matter how they played in the first phase. Then again, such 2-staged championships rarely produced sensations: a good number of teams made the effort to reach safety in the first phase and then did not care much, especially when having poor squads. Thus, most often the final stage produced mixed results: some initially strong teams continued to be strong, some lower teams geared up only for the second stage and some exhausted themselves early and dropped from the championship race. Anyhow, the season ended like this:
BSC Young Boys (Bern, 3rd in the first stage) – last with 22 points (13 of them carried over). A prime example of those spending themselves early and perhaps just going through the motions at the final stage.
Lausanne Sports (Lausanne, 8th in the opening stage) – 7th with 23 points (12 carried over). That was a team just putting effort to avoid the risk of relegation and once achieving its goal only waiting for the next season.
FC 1879 St. Gallen (St. Gallen, 5th in the first stage) – 6th with 23 points (12 carried over). Similar to Lausanne Sports.
FC Luzern (Luzern, 6th in the first stage) – 5th with 27 points (12 carried over). Saved strength for the final stage, but not exactly a title contender.
Grasshopper Club (Zurich, 2nd in the first stage) – 4th with 30 points (15 carried over). Apparently, spent themselves in the first stage and dropped down when the title was at stake.
FC Aarau (Aarau, 4th in the first stage) – 3rd with 30 points (13 carried over). Very strong at the final stage, but handicapped by lukewarm first stage.
Servette FC (Geneve, 7th in the first stage) – 2nd with 30 points (12 carried over). The prime axample of the kind saving their strength in the first stage, juts playing enough to qualify to the final, where they unleashed their best. But… unable to win the title because of weak first stage. Top row from left: Colletti, Cacciapalia, Hasler, Morisod, Niaba, Eriksen, Palombo
Middle row: ?, Bamert, Egli, Decastel, Favre, Grossenbacher, Schällibaum, Burri
Sitting.: Kok, Kressibucher, Marguerat, De Choudens (coach), Mutter, Sinval, Besnard.
Xamax (Neuchatel, winner of the first stage) – 1st with 32 points (16 carried over). Well, if you really want to win steady performance during the whole season is the key. Most often. Xamax was not superior at any point of the championship, but was steadily strong. Two teams got more points than them at the final stage – Servette and FC Aarau – but Xamax came to the final with more points than them and prevailed. Steady, that was the secret.
Thus, Xamax won second consecutive title and rightly so – they had great period. Their first and so far the last… Two titles in a row – but also that were the only titles Xamax ever won. By frugal Swiss standards – strong and well made squad, a good mix of domestic stars (Sutter at the first place) and imports (Uli Stielike the most famous). As a traditional underdog – lovely success. It was the last season of Uli Stielike and the famed veteran retired in stile – as a champion.