Mitropa Cup

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.

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.

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.

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

By club

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

Country	Titles
Hungary	16
Italy	11
Czechoslovakia	8
Yugoslavia
Austria	7

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.)

• Latin Cup
• Balkans Cup