Mitropa Cup Explained

Mitropa Cup
Founded:1927
Region:Central Europe
Number Of Teams:4 (1992)
Related Comps:Latin Cup
Balkans Cup
Current Champions: Borac Banja Luka (1992)
Most Successful Club: 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Champions

Finals

width=60pxSeasonwidth=170pxCountrywidth=170pxChampionswidth=60pxResultwidth=170pxRunners-upwidth=170pxCountry
19276–2
1–2
7–1
3–5
1929 5–1
2–2
1930 2–0
2–3
3–2
2–1
align=cente
1–2
3–1
2–3
5–1
1–2
3–0
0–0
1–0
4–2
5–4
2–2
2–0
4–1
2–2

1941–50
1952–54
6–0
2–1
3–3
1–1
9–2
4–0
1–2
4–1
3–2
4–3
2–2
1961 2–2
3–0
1962 5–1 Italy
1–2
1963 Hungary2–1 Vasas Hungary
1–1
0–0
2–0
1965 1–0 Italy
19661–0
2–3 Hungary
3–1
0–1
4–1
4–1
0–0
1–2
4–1
3–1 Austria
1971–72 0–0 Italy
1–0
1972–73 2–1
2–1
1973–74 3–2
2–0
1974–753–1 Hungary
2–1
1975–76 3–1
3–1
1976–77 Hungary
1977–78 1–0 Hungary
1978–79
1979–80
1980–81 Hungary
1981–82 Italy
1982–83
1983–84
1984–85 Italy
1985–86 2–0 Hungary
1986–87 1–0
1987–88 3–0 Hungary
1988–89 2–1 Italy
2–1
1990 Italy1–0 Italy
1991 2–1
(a.e.t)
Italy
1–1 (a.e.t)
5–3 (p)
Hungary
Notes

Performances

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

By club

width=180pxClubwidth=60pxWinnerswidth=60pxRunner-upwidth=170pxWinning seasonswidth=170pxRunners-up seasons
1956, 1957, 1962, 1965, 1970, 1983 1963, 1977
1932, 1934, 1961 1962, 1989
1930, 1936
1935, 1938, 1939, 1940
1930, 1951 1927, 1928, 1956
1971, 1972 1973, 1980
1955, 1963 1959
1967
1986, 1988 1991
1975, 1976
1973, 1974
1959 1975, 1978
1966 1965, 1972
1958, 1968
1969 1970
1929
1977 1957
1992
1985
1978
1982
1991
1980
1987
1990
1984
1989
1981
1974, 1983
1934, 1951
1931
1971
1933
1937
1985
1990
1955
1961
1964
1966
1969
1982
1987
1976
1984
1981
1986
1988
1992
1940

Titles by country

width=180pxCountrywidth=60pxTitles
16
11
8
7

Top scorers (1927–1940)

By year

[4]

width=60pxYearwidth=180pxPlayerwidth=60pxGoalswidth=60pxPlayedwidth=60pxAverage
19275 6 0.83
192810 6 1.66
192910 7 1.42
19307 6 1.16
19317 7 1.00
19325 4 1.25
19335 4 1.25
4 1.25
6 0.83
Matthias Sindelar6 0.83
193410 8 1.28
19359 8 1.12
1936 Giuseppe Meazza (3) 10 6 1.66
193712 9 1.33
193810 8 1.25
19399 6 1.50
1940 György Sárosi (3) 6 2 3.00

All-time top scorers (1927–1940)

[5]

width=60pxRankwidth=180pxPlayerwidth=60pxGoalswidth=60pxPlayedwidth=60pxAverage
150 42 1.19
229 27 1.07
324 19 1.26
424 31 0.77
519 24 0.79

Top scorers (1951–1992)

By season

SeasonPlayerClubGoals
1951 Erich Probst Rapid Wien5
1955 János Molnár Vörös Lobogó9
Nándor Hidegkuti Vörös Lobogó9
1956 Lajos Csordás Vasas8
1957 Johann Riegler Rapid Wien5
Dezső Bundzsák Vasas5
1959 Lajos Tichy Budapest Honvéd9
1960 Sulejman Rebac Velez Mostar4
1961 Milan Dolinský Red Star Bratislava7
Viliam Hrnčár Slovan Nitra7
1962 Harald Nielsen Bologna11
1963 Ferenc Machos Vasas7
1964 Václav Mašek Sparta Prague7
1965 Lajos Puskás Vasas3
1966 Friedrich Rafreider Wiener Sport-Club5
1966–67 Antal Dunai Újpest9
1967–68 Vojin Lazarević Red Star Belgrade5
1968–69 Pavel Stratil Sklo Union Teplice7
1969–70 János Farkas Vasas6
1970–71 Alojz Renić Čelik Zenica5
1971–72 Luciano Chiarugi Fiorentina5
1972–73 Alojz Renić (2) Čelik Zenica4
1973–74 FC Tatabánya6
1974–75 Jaroslav Melichar Sklo Union Teplice3
1975–76 Kurt Welzl FC Wacker Innsbruck6
1976–77 Vasas4
1977–78 Momčilo Vukotić Partizan3
1979–80 Nerio Ulivieri Udinese4
1980–81 Csepel SC3
1981–82 Jiří Šourek Vítkovice3

Mitropa Super Cup Final

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

width=60pxYearwidth=150pxChampionwidth=60pxResult width=150pxRunner-up
1989 3–0 Pisa
1–3

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mitropa Cup . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . Karel Stokkermans . 2 September 2015 . 13 September 2017 . 16 June 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080616004455/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesm/mit.html . live .
  2. http://www.iffhs.de/?20e32b0ae63828ff2d17f92904d3300bf02c00fe2b10f83e17f7370eff3702bb1d20bb6a21e13c11e23b00e13c17f43c12 Mitropa Cup History – Ref: IFFHS.de
  3. Web site: Mitropa Cup History – Ref: Radio.cz. 12 August 2011. 13 March 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140313195010/http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/central-european-football-competition-was-forerunner-of-champions-league. live.
  4. Web site: ARFTS – Mitropa Cup 1927–1940 Statistics. 17 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171118222050/http://arfts.com/texts/posts/mitropacup.php. 18 November 2017. dead.
  5. Web site: ARFTS – Mitropa Cup 1927-1940 Statistics. 17 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171118222050/http://arfts.com/texts/posts/mitropacup.php. 18 November 2017. dead.