7.2.15

Mitropa Cup

Hugo Meisl's visionary idea that international club competitions would be both lucrative and a means of strengthening the standard of central European football were instrumental in elevating the Austrian, Hungarian and Czech game. The Danubian clubs were at the time equal to any in the World. The Mitropa Cup also provided the template for later international club competitions.
Let's look at the first 10 tournament winners and 9 finals:

1927 Sparta Prague


30.10.27
Sparta
6
2
Rapid
Letna, Prague:  25,000
13.11.27
Rapid
2
1
Sparta
Hohe Warte, Vienna: 40,000

Sparta
7
4
Rapid

Káďa
Dual international (football and ice hockey) Karel Pešek-Káďa was the first captain to lift the trophy. He also put Sparta ahead in the first minute of their emphatic victory in the home leg of the final. 

1928 Ferencváros



28.10.28
Ferencváros
7
1
Rapid
Üllői úti ,Budapest:  25,000
11.11.28
Rapid
5
3
Ferencváros
Hohe Warte, Vienna: 20,000

Ferencvaros
10
6
Rapid

Takács
8 goals in each leg! József Takács, the tournament top scorer (10 goals) scored a hat trick in the first leg. 

1929 Újpesti FC



03.11.29
Újpest
5
1
Slavia
Hungária körút,Budapest:  18,000
17.11.29
Slavia
2
2
Újpest
Letna, Prague:  25,000

Újpest
7
3
Slavia

 Auer/Avar
Tournament top scorer was Újpest's Stefan Auer (aka Istavan Avar). He scored in both legs of the final.


1930 Rapid (Vienna)



02.11.30
Sparta
0
2
Rapid
Letna, Prague:  25,000
11.11.30
Rapid
2
3
Sparta
Hohe Warte, Vienna : 40,000
Rapid
4
3
Sparta

A 2nd leg hattrick by Josef  Košťálek was not enough for Sparta.

1931 First Vienna FC




08.11.31
WAC
2
3
First Vienna
Hardturm , Zürich: 20,000
13.11.31
First Vienna
2
1
WAC
Hohe Warte, Vienna : 25,000
First Vienna
5
3
WAC

1932 Bologna



Italian clubs had been participating since 1929 and Bologna were the first Italian winners. There was no final, however. Bologna won their semi final against First Vienna. The second leg of the other semi final, Juventus versus Slavia at Stadio di Corso Marsiglia, was abandoned. Juventus pulled back 2 goals having lost the away leg 4-0. Slavia then engaged time wasting tactics that enraged the crowd. Stones were thrown, Plánička was injured, Slavia walked off, both sides were ejected from the competition.


1933 Austria (Vienna)




03.09.33
 Ambrosiana
2
1
Austria 
Arena Civica , Milan : 25,000
08.09.33
Austria 
3
1
 Ambrosiana
Praterstadion, Vienna : 58,000
 Austria 
4
3
Ambrosiana


Sindelar
Matthias Sindelar scored a hat trick in the second leg to win the trophy for Austria.



Two legends: Sindelar and Meazza

1934 Bologna




05.09.34
Admira
3
2
Bologna
Praterstadion, Vienna : 50,000
09.09.34
Bologna
5
1
Admira
Littoriale, Bologna: 25,000
Bologna
7
4
Admira

Reguzzoni
Carlo Reguzzoni scored a hat trick in Bologna's emphatic home win. He was also the competition's top scorer, with 10 goals. 

1935 Sparta Prague



08.09.35
Ferencvaros
2
1
Sparta
Ulloi Ut, Budapest: 34,000
15.09.35
Sparta
3
0
Ferencvaros
Velký Strahovský Stadion: 56, 000
Sparta
4
2
Ferencvaros

Braine 
Belgium's Ray Braine scored 3 goals in the finals

1936 Austria (Vienna)



06.09.36
Austria
0
0
Sparta
Praterstadion, Vienna : 41,600
13.09.36
Sparta
0
1
Austria
Velký Strahovský Stadion: 58,000
Austria
1
0
Sparta


 Jerusalem
  Low scoring games were a rarity. 0-0 draws almost unheard of. During these 10 seasons Mitropa Cup ties produced an average of 4.2 goals per game. 
Camillo Jerusalem broke the deadlock in the 67th minute of the 2nd leg. 

 Winners by country: 
Austria - 4 
Hungary -2
Czechoslovakia -2
Italy - 2
Yugoslavia - 0
Switzerland - 0