This is a list of seasons played by FC Basel in Swiss and European football, from the club's founding in 1893 to the present. It details FC Basel's record in each major competition entered including different divisions of the Swiss Football League, the Swiss Cup, the Swiss League Cup, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and various UEFA competitions. Although the first season of Swiss football occurred in 1897–98, FC Basel did not take part until the following season in 1898–99. The club did not compete the next season, but has participated in every season since 1900–01. The club won its first major trophy in 1932–33, when it won the Swiss Cup, and its first Swiss league title in 1952–53. To date FC Basel have won 20 league titles, 13 Swiss Cups, and 1 Swiss League Cup.
League names
From its inception in the 1897–98 season to the 1932–33 season, the Swiss Championship (known originally as "Serie A", then "1st League", then "Nationalliga") consisted of teams playing in regional groups, followed by either a play-off match of the top 2 teams, or a championship play-off group involving the top several teams. The 1932–33 season also contained an intermediate championship called the "Challenge National" where the teams in each of the 2 groups played the teams in the other group, followed by a play-off match between the group winners. In 1933–34, the different regional groups were combined into a single league to determine the championship, and this league format has been maintained until the present. However, it was not until the 1944–45 season that the 2nd division of Swiss football was similarly organised, with the adoption of the names "Nationalliga A" and "Nationalliga B" for the top 2 divisions. Since 2003–04 these divisions have been known as the "Swiss Super League" and the "Swiss Challenge League" respectively.
^There was no promotion or relegation this season due to World War II
^Basel won a two-legged promotion play-off against the winners of the 1st League West, FC Bern, drawing the first match 0–0 and winning the second match 3–1.
^ abcdeThe Basel sides which participated in the first five editions of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup were not FC Basel teams, but "Basel XI" teams, which included players who played for FC Basel as well as players from other clubs.
^Basel finished the league in first place, level on points with Grasshopper Club Zürich, but lost a Championship play-off match to Grasshopper Club 4–3 after extra time.
^ ab17 points were carried over from the qualifying phase.
^Basel finished level on points with Servette FC Genève. Basel defeated Servette 2–1 in a Championship play-off match.
^ ab14 points were carried over from the qualifying phase.
^ ab13 points were carried over from the qualifying phase.
^19 points were carried over from the qualifying phase.
^Four teams from the Nationalliga A and four teams from the Nationalliga B contested a play-off round to determine two places in next season's Nationalliga A. Basel defeated FC Bulle 5–3 on penalties in a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off semi-final, after both matches finished 2–2. Basel then defeated FC Wettingen 8–2 on aggregate (7–0 and 1–2) in one of the two promotion/relegation finals.
^10 points were carried over from the qualifying phase.
^15 points were carried over from the qualifying phase.
^19 points were carried over from the qualifying phase.
^ abAs the Intertoto Cup was a tournament for the purpose of enabling several teams to qualify for the UEFA Cup, there were multiple "finals" of each year's competition and consequently several winners of each year's tournament.
^22 points were carried over from the qualifying phase.
^24 points were carried over from the qualifying phase.