Credit Suisse will be the new title sponsor of the men’s Swiss football league, replacing rival Raiffeisen Group after eight years.

Swiss financials are keeping hold over the main Swiss football leagues. While Axa, the insurance giant, became the new title sponsors of the women’s football league in 2020, Credit Suisse will follow as title sponsors of the men’s league in 2021. It is replacing Raiffeisen Group, which had sponsored the league for eight years.

Starting next season, the top tier of the Swiss football league will be known as the Credit Suisse Super League, said the bank in a statement on Tuesday. The No. 2 bank of Switzerland signed an agreement with Ringier Sports, the company in charge of marketing rights for the Swiss Football League (SFL).

Sponsoring Elite...

The contract extends over four years and the bank’s name will adorn every jersey worn by a Swiss footballer player, Credit Suisse said. The bank didn’t say how much it will pay for the deal with the league.

Credit Suisse has long been associated with Swiss football through its partnership with the national team that spans back a quarter of a century.

André Helfenstein, CEO of Credit Suisse Switzerland, stated: «We are very pleased and proud to become the title sponsor of the top tier of the Swiss Football League, which will now bear the Credit Suisse name. This move fits seamlessly with our sponsorship of the Swiss Football Association over many years and it underscores our commitment to football, to sport and to Switzerland.»

... and Grass-Root Footballers

The bank has also sponsored grass-root football at school level through the Credit Suisse Cup. The cup organizes city-, region- and country-wide competitions for teams that open mainly to kids that don’t play in a club.

In 2019, the bank, which is based in Zurich, signed an agreement for the naming rights for the new football stadium in Zurich, which will be called the Credit Suisse Arena.