Mitropa Cup

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Mitropa Cup
The trophy awarded to champions
Organising body
List
Founded1927
Abolished1992; 32 years ago (1992)
RegionCentral Europe
Number of teams4 (1992)
Related competitionsLatin Cup
Balkans Cup
Last championsSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Bosnia and Herzegovina Borac Banja Luka (1992)
Most successful club(s)Hungary Vasas
(6 titles)

The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale or Central European Cup, was one of the first international major European football cups for club sides. It was conducted among the successor states of the former Austria-Hungary. After World War II in 1951 a replacement tournament named Zentropa Cup was held, but just for one season, the Mitropa Cup name was revived, and again in 1958 the name of the tournament changed to Danube Cup but only for one season. The tournament was discontinued after 1992.

The most successful club is Vasas with six titles.

History[edit]

Nations which participated in the Mitropa Cup (1927–1940)

This "International" competition for football clubs was founded in 1897 in Vienna. The Challenge Cup was invented by John Gramlick Sr., a co-founder of the Vienna Cricket and Football-Club. In this cup competition all clubs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that normally would not meet could take part, though actually almost only clubs from the Empire's three major cities Vienna, Budapest and Prague participated. The Challenge Cup was carried out until the year 1911 and is today seen as the predecessor to the Mitropa Cup and consequently the European Cup and Champions League. The last winner of the cup was Wiener Sport-Club, one of the oldest and most traditional football clubs of Austria where the cup still remains.[citation needed]

The idea of a European cup competition was shaped after World War I which brought the defeat and collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The centre of this idea were the Central European countries that, at this time, were still leading in continental football. In the early 1920s they introduced professional leagues, the first continental countries to do so. Austria started in 1924, followed by Czechoslovakia in 1925 and Hungary in 1926. In order to strengthen the dominance of these countries in European football and to financially support the professional clubs, the introduction of the Mitropa Cup was decided at a meeting in Venice on 17 July, following the initiative of the head of the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB), Hugo Meisl.[1][2][3] Moreover, the creation of a European Cup for national teams – that unlike the Challenge Cup and the Mitropa Cup would not be annual – was also part of the agreement. The first matches were played on 14 August 1927. The competition was between the top professional teams of Central Europe.

The president and the captain of Bologna, Renato Dall'Ara (left) and Mirko Pavinato (right), with the trophy of the 1961 season.

Initially two teams each from Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia entered, competing in a knock-out competition. The countries involved could either send their respective league winners and runners-up, or league winners and cup winners to take part. The first winners were the Czech side, AC Sparta Prague. In 1929 Italian teams replaced the Yugoslavian ones. The competition was expanded to four teams from each of the competing countries in 1934. Other countries were invited to participate – Switzerland in 1936, and Romania, Switzerland and Yugoslavia in 1937. Austria was withdrawn from the competition following the Anschluss in 1938. In 1939, prior to the start of World War II, the cup involved only eight teams (two each from Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Italy and one each from Romania and Yugoslavia). The level of the competing nations is clearly shown by Italy's two World Cup titles (1934 & 1938), Czechoslovakia's (1934) and Hungary's (1938) World Cup final, and Austria's (1934) and Yugoslavia's (1930) semi-finals. Out of the eleven different teams competing in the first three World Cups, five were part of the Mitropa Cup.[citation needed]

A tournament was started in 1940, but abandoned before the final match due to World War II. Again, only eight teams competed, three each from Hungary and Yugoslavia and two from Romania. Hungarian Ferencváros and Romanian Rapid (which had won on lots after three draws) qualified for the final, but did not meet because the northern part of Transylvania (lost shortly after World War I) was ceded to Hungary from Romania.[citation needed]

Champions[edit]

Finals[edit]

Season Country Champions Result Runners-up Country
1927  Czechoslovakia Sparta Prague 6–2 Rapid Wien  Austria
1–2
1928  Hungary Ferencváros 7–1 Rapid Wien  Austria
3–5
1929  Hungary Újpest 5–1 Slavia Prague  Czechoslovakia
2–2
1930  Austria Rapid Wien 2–0 Sparta Prague  Czechoslovakia
2–3
1931  Austria First Vienna 3–2 Wiener AC  Austria
2–1
1932  Italy Bologna
1933  Austria Austria Wien 1–2 Ambrosiana-Inter  Italy
3–1
1934  Italy Bologna 2–3 Admira Wien  Austria
5–1
1935  Czechoslovakia Sparta Prague 1–2 Ferencváros  Hungary
3–0
1936  Austria Austria Wien 0–0 Sparta Prague  Czechoslovakia
1–0
1937  Hungary Ferencváros 4–2 Lazio  Italy
5–4
1938  Czechoslovakia Slavia Prague 2–2 Ferencváros  Hungary
2–0
1939  Hungary Újpest 4–1 Ferencváros  Hungary
2–2
1940 N/A Rapid București
Ferencváros
 Romania
 Hungary
1941–50
Not held
1951 [note 3]  Austria Rapid Wien 3–2 Admira Wien  Austria
1952–54
Not held
1955  Hungary Vörös Lobogó 6–0 ÚDA Prague  Czechoslovakia
2–1
1956  Hungary Vasas 3–3 Rapid Wien  Austria
1–1
9–2
1957  Hungary Vasas 4–0 Vojvodina  Yugoslavia
1–2
1958 [note 4]  Yugoslavia Red Star Belgrade 4–1 Rudá Hvězda Brno  Czechoslovakia
3–2
1959  Hungary Honvéd 4–3 MTK  Hungary
2–2
1960
1961  Italy Bologna 2–2 Slovan Nitra  Czechoslovakia
3–0
1962  Hungary Vasas 5–1 Bologna  Italy
1–2
1963  Hungary MTK Budapest 2–1 Vasas  Hungary
1–1
1964  Czechoslovakia Sparta Prague 0–0 Slovan Bratislava  Czechoslovakia
2–0
1965  Hungary Vasas 1–0 Fiorentina  Italy
1966  Italy Fiorentina 1–0 Jednota Trenčín  Czechoslovakia
1966–67  Czechoslovakia Spartak Trnava 2–3 Újpesti Dózsa  Hungary
3–1
1967–68  Yugoslavia Red Star Belgrade 0–1 Spartak Trnava  Czechoslovakia
4–1
1968–69  Czechoslovakia Inter Bratislava 4–1 Sklo Union Teplice  Czechoslovakia
0–0
1969–70  Hungary Vasas 1–2 Inter Bratislava  Czechoslovakia
4–1
1970–71  Yugoslavia Čelik Zenica 3–1 Austria Salzburg  Austria
1971–72  Yugoslavia Čelik Zenica 0–0 Fiorentina  Italy
1–0
1972–73  Hungary Tatabányai Bányász 2–1 Čelik Zenica  Yugoslavia
2–1
1973–74  Hungary Tatabányai Bányász 3–2 ZVL Zilina  Czechoslovakia
2–0
1974–75  Austria Wacker Innsbruck 3–1 Honvéd  Hungary
2–1
1975–76  Austria Wacker Innsbruck 3–1 Velež Mostar  Yugoslavia
3–1
1976–77  Yugoslavia Vojvodina RR Vasas  Hungary
1977–78  Yugoslavia Partizan 1–0 Honvéd  Hungary
1978–79
Not played
1979–80  Italy Udinese RR Čelik Zenica  Yugoslavia
1980–81  Czechoslovakia Tatran Prešov RR Csepel SC  Hungary
1981–82  Italy Milan RR TJ Vítkovice  Czechoslovakia
1982–83  Hungary Vasas RR ZVL Zilina  Czechoslovakia
1983–84  Austria SC Eisenstadt RR Prishtina  Yugoslavia
1984–85  Yugoslavia Iskra Bugojno RR Atalanta  Italy
1985–86  Italy Pisa 2–0 Debrecen  Hungary
1986–87  Italy Ascoli 1–0 Bohemians Prague  Czechoslovakia
1987–88  Italy Pisa 3–0 Váci Izzó  Hungary
1988–89  Czechoslovakia Baník Ostrava 2–1 Bologna  Italy
2–1
1990  Italy Bari 1–0 Genoa  Italy
1991  Italy Torino 2–1
(a.e.t)
Pisa  Italy
1992  Yugoslavia Borac Banja Luka 1–1 (a.e.t)
5–3 (p)
BVSC  Hungary
Notes
  1. ^ The final was scratched and Bologna were awarded the cup after Slavia Prague and Juventus were both ejected from the competition.
  2. ^ The final between Rapid București and Ferencváros was scheduled to take place in July 1940. However, due to the events of World War II, it was cancelled.
  3. ^ The 1951 edition of Mitropa Cup was unofficial and only for this tournament was named Zentropa Cup.
  4. ^ The 1958 edition of Mitropa Cup was unofficial and only for this tournament was named Danube Cup.
  5. ^ It was contested as a competition between countries and there was no elimination. The five competing countries each sent six teams each to the competition and their aggregate results counted toward their country's tally.

Performances[edit]

Note: The 1960 edition is not included in the list because it was won by a nation rather than club.

By club[edit]

Club Winners Runner-up Winning seasons Runners-up seasons
Hungary Vasas
6
2
1956, 1957, 1962, 1965, 1970, 1983 1963, 1977
Italy Bologna
3
2
1932, 1934, 1961 1962, 1989
Czechoslovakia Sparta Prague
3
2
1927, 1935, 1964 1930, 1936
Hungary Ferencváros
2
4
1928, 1937 1935, 1938, 1939, 1940
Austria Rapid Wien
2
3
1930, 1951 1927, 1928, 1956
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Čelik Zenica
2
2
1971, 1972 1973, 1980
Hungary MTK Budapest
2
1
1955, 1963 1959
Hungary Újpest
2
1
1929, 1939 1967
Italy Pisa
2
1
1986, 1988 1991
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star Belgrade
2
1958, 1968
Austria Austria Wien
2
1933, 1936
Austria Wacker Innsbruck
2
1975, 1976
Hungary Tatabányai Bányász
2
1973, 1974
Hungary Budapest Honvéd
1
2
1959 1975, 1978
Italy Fiorentina
1
2
1966 1965, 1972
Czechoslovakia Spartak Trnava
1
2
1967 1958, 1968
Czechoslovakia Inter Bratislava
1
1
1969 1970
Czechoslovakia Slavia Prague
1
1
1938 1929
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Vojvodina
1
1
1977 1957
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Borac Banja Luka
1
1992
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Iskra Bugojno
1
1985
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Partizan
1
1978
Italy Milan
1
1982
Italy Torino
1
1991
Italy Udinese
1
1980
Italy Ascoli
1
1987
Italy Bari
1
1990
Austria SC Eisenstadt
1
1984
Austria First Vienna
1
1931
Czechoslovakia Baník Ostrava
1
1989
Czechoslovakia Tatran Prešov
1
1981
Czechoslovakia ZVL Zilina
2
1974, 1983
Austria SK Admira Wien
2
1934, 1951
Austria Wiener AC
1
1931
Austria Austria Salzburg
1
1971
Italy Ambrosiana Inter
1
1933
Italy Lazio
1
1937
Italy Atalanta
1
1985
Italy Genoa
1
1990
Czechoslovakia ÚDA Prague
1
1955
Czechoslovakia Slovan Nitra
1
1961
Czechoslovakia Slovan Bratislava
1
1964
Czechoslovakia Jednota Trenčín
1
1966
Czechoslovakia Sklo Union Teplice
1
1969
Czechoslovakia TJ Vítkovice
1
1982
Czechoslovakia Bohemians Prague
1
1987
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Velež Mostar
1
1976
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Prishtina
1
1984
Hungary Csepel SC
1
1981
Hungary Debreceni MVSC
1
1986
Hungary Váci Izzó
1
1988
Hungary BVSC
1
1992
Romania Rapid București
1
1940

Titles by country[edit]

Country Titles
 Hungary 16
 Italy 11
 Czechoslovakia 8
 Yugoslavia
 Austria 7

Top scorers (1927–1940)[edit]

By year[edit]

[4]

Year Player Goals Played Average
1927 Czechoslovakia Josef Silný 5 6 0.83
1928 Hungary Jozsef Takács II 10 6 1.66
1929 Hungary István Avar 10 7 1.42
1930 Italy Giuseppe Meazza 7 6 1.16
1931 Austria Heinrich Hiltl 7 7 1.00
1932 Argentina Renato Cesarini 5 4 1.25
1933 Argentina Raimundo Orsi 5 4 1.25
Czechoslovakia František Kloz 4 1.25
Italy Giuseppe Meazza 6 0.83
Austria Matthias Sindelar 6 0.83
1934 Italy Carlo Reguzzoni 10 8 1.28
1935 Hungary György Sárosi 9 8 1.12
1936 Italy Giuseppe Meazza (3) 10 6 1.66
1937 Hungary György Sárosi 12 9 1.33
1938 Czechoslovakia Josef Bican 10 8 1.25
1939 Hungary Gyula Zsengellér 9 6 1.50
1940 Hungary György Sárosi (3) 6 2 3.00

All-time top scorers (1927–1940)[edit]

[5]

Rank Player Goals Played Average
1 Hungary György Sárosi 50 42 1.19
2 Italy Giuseppe Meazza 29 27 1.07
3 Hungary Gyula Zsengellér 24 19 1.26
4 Austria Matthias Sindelar 24 31 0.77
5 Hungary István Avar 19 24 0.79

Top scorers (1951–1992)[edit]

By season[edit]

Season Player Club Goals
1951 Austria Erich Probst Austria Rapid Wien 5
1955 Hungary János Molnár Hungary Vörös Lobogó 9
Hungary Nándor Hidegkuti Hungary Vörös Lobogó 9
1956 Hungary Lajos Csordás Hungary Vasas 8
1957 Austria Johann Riegler Austria Rapid Wien 5
Hungary Dezső Bundzsák Hungary Vasas 5
1959 Hungary Lajos Tichy Hungary Budapest Honvéd 9
1960 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sulejman Rebac Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Velez Mostar 4
1961 Czechoslovakia Milan Dolinský Czechoslovakia Red Star Bratislava 7
Czechoslovakia Viliam Hrnčár Czechoslovakia Slovan Nitra 7
1962 Denmark Harald Nielsen Italy Bologna 11
1963 Hungary Ferenc Machos Hungary Vasas 7
1964 Czechoslovakia Václav Mašek Czechoslovakia Sparta Prague 7
1965 Hungary Lajos Puskás Hungary Vasas 3
1966 Austria Friedrich Rafreider Austria Wiener Sport-Club 5
1966–67 Hungary Antal Dunai Hungary Újpest 9
1967–68 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Vojin Lazarević Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star Belgrade 5
1968–69 Czechoslovakia Pavel Stratil Czechoslovakia Sklo Union Teplice 7
1969–70 Hungary János Farkas Hungary Vasas 6
1970–71 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Alojz Renić Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Čelik Zenica 5
1971–72 Italy Luciano Chiarugi Italy Fiorentina 5
1972–73 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Alojz Renić (2) Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Čelik Zenica 4
1973–74 Hungary Mihai Kyomyuves Hungary FC Tatabánya 6
1974–75 Czechoslovakia Jaroslav Melichar Czechoslovakia Sklo Union Teplice 3
1975–76 Austria Kurt Welzl Austria FC Wacker Innsbruck 6
1976–77 Hungary István Kovács [hu] Hungary Vasas 4
1977–78 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Momčilo Vukotić Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Partizan 3
1979–80 Italy Nerio Ulivieri Italy Udinese 4
1980–81 Hungary László Lazsányi [hu] Hungary Csepel SC 3
1981–82 Czechoslovakia Jiří Šourek Czechoslovakia Vítkovice 3

Mitropa Super Cup Final[edit]

Additionally, a "Mitropa Super Cup" was contested in 1989 between the winners of 1988 and 1989.[1]

Year Champion Result Runner-up
1989 Czechoslovakia Baník Ostrava 3–0 Italy Pisa
1–3
(a.e.t.)

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Karel Stokkermans (2 September 2015). "Mitropa Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  2. ^ Mitropa Cup History – Ref: IFFHS.de (in German)
  3. ^ "Mitropa Cup History – Ref: Radio.cz".
  4. ^ "ARFTS – Mitropa Cup 1927–1940 Statistics". Archived from the original on 18 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  5. ^ "ARFTS – Mitropa Cup 1927-1940 Statistics". Archived from the original on 18 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.