Mitropa Cup

Summary

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.

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 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
  Vasas
6
2
1956, 1957, 1962, 1965, 1970, 1983 1963, 1977
  Bologna
3
2
1932, 1934, 1961 1962, 1989
  Sparta Prague
3
2
1927, 1935, 1964 1930, 1936
  Ferencváros
2
4
1928, 1937 1935, 1938, 1939, 1940
  Rapid Wien
2
3
1930, 1951 1927, 1928, 1956
  Čelik Zenica
2
2
1971, 1972 1973, 1980
  MTK Budapest
2
1
1955, 1963 1959
  Újpest
2
1
1929, 1939 1967
  Pisa
2
1
1986, 1988 1991
  Red Star Belgrade
2
1958, 1968
  Austria Wien
2
1933, 1936
  Wacker Innsbruck
2
1975, 1976
  Tatabányai Bányász
2
1973, 1974
  Budapest Honvéd
1
2
1959 1975, 1978
  Fiorentina
1
2
1966 1965, 1972
  Spartak Trnava
1
2
1967 1958, 1968
  Inter Bratislava
1
1
1969 1970
  Slavia Prague
1
1
1938 1929
  Vojvodina
1
1
1977 1957
  Borac Banja Luka
1
1992
  Iskra Bugojno
1
1985
  Partizan
1
1978
  Milan
1
1982
  Torino
1
1991
  Udinese
1
1980
  Ascoli
1
1987
  Bari
1
1990
  SC Eisenstadt
1
1984
  First Vienna
1
1931
  Baník Ostrava
1
1989
  Tatran Prešov
1
1981
  ZVL Zilina
2
1974, 1983
  SK Admira Wien
2
1934, 1951
  Wiener AC
1
1931
  Austria Salzburg
1
1971
  Ambrosiana Inter
1
1933
  Lazio
1
1937
  Atalanta
1
1985
  Genoa
1
1990
  ÚDA Prague
1
1955
  Slovan Nitra
1
1961
  Slovan Bratislava
1
1964
  Jednota Trenčín
1
1966
  Sklo Union Teplice
1
1969
  TJ Vítkovice
1
1982
  Bohemians Prague
1
1987
  Velež Mostar
1
1976
  Prishtina
1
1984
  Csepel SC
1
1981
  Debreceni MVSC
1
1986
  Váci Izzó
1
1988
  BVSC
1
1992
  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   Josef Silný 5 6 0.83
1928   Jozsef Takács II 10 6 1.66
1929   István Avar 10 7 1.42
1930   Giuseppe Meazza 7 6 1.16
1931   Heinrich Hiltl 7 7 1.00
1932   Renato Cesarini 5 4 1.25
1933   Raimundo Orsi 5 4 1.25
  František Kloz 4 1.25
  Giuseppe Meazza 6 0.83
  Matthias Sindelar 6 0.83
1934   Carlo Reguzzoni 10 8 1.28
1935   György Sárosi 9 8 1.12
1936   Giuseppe Meazza (3) 10 6 1.66
1937   György Sárosi 12 9 1.33
1938   Josef Bican 10 8 1.25
1939   Gyula Zsengellér 9 6 1.50
1940   György Sárosi (3) 6 2 3.00

All-time top scorers (1927–1940) edit

[5]

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

Top scorers (1951–1992) edit

By season edit

Season Player Club Goals
1951   Erich Probst   Rapid Wien 5
1955   János Molnár   Vörös Lobogó 9
  Nándor Hidegkuti   Vörös Lobogó 9
1956   Lajos Csordás   Vasas 8
1957   Johann Riegler   Rapid Wien 5
  Dezső Bundzsák   Vasas 5
1959   Lajos Tichy   Budapest Honvéd 9
1960   Sulejman Rebac   Velez Mostar 4
1961   Milan Dolinský   Red Star Bratislava 7
  Viliam Hrnčár   Slovan Nitra 7
1962   Harald Nielsen   Bologna 11
1963   Ferenc Machos   Vasas 7
1964   Václav Mašek   Sparta Prague 7
1965   Lajos Puskás   Vasas 3
1966   Friedrich Rafreider   Wiener Sport-Club 5
1966–67   Antal Dunai   Újpest 9
1967–68   Vojin Lazarević   Red Star Belgrade 5
1968–69   Pavel Stratil   Sklo Union Teplice 7
1969–70   János Farkas   Vasas 6
1970–71   Alojz Renić   Čelik Zenica 5
1971–72   Luciano Chiarugi   Fiorentina 5
1972–73   Alojz Renić (2)   Čelik Zenica 4
1973–74   Mihai Kyomyuves   FC Tatabánya 6
1974–75   Jaroslav Melichar   Sklo Union Teplice 3
1975–76   Kurt Welzl   FC Wacker Innsbruck 6
1976–77   István Kovács [hu]   Vasas 4
1977–78   Momčilo Vukotić   Partizan 3
1979–80   Nerio Ulivieri   Udinese 4
1980–81   László Lazsányi [hu]   Csepel SC 3
1981–82   Jiří Šourek   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   Baník Ostrava 3–0   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.