# Mitropa Cup

The Mitropa Cup, officially called Coupe de l'Europe Centrale, Mitteleuropäischer Pokal 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. 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

| Season | Country | Champions | Result | Runners-up | Country |
| 1927 | Czechoslovakia | Sparta Prague | 6–2 | Rapid Wien | Austria |
| 1927 | Czechoslovakia | Sparta Prague | 1–2 | Rapid Wien | Austria |
| 1928 | Hungary | Ferencváros | 7–1 | Rapid Wien | Austria |
| 1928 | Hungary | Ferencváros | 3–5 | Rapid Wien | Austria |
| 1929 | Hungary | Újpest | 5–1 | Slavia Prague | Czechoslovakia |
| 1929 | Hungary | Újpest | 2–2 | Slavia Prague | Czechoslovakia |
| 1930 | Austria | Rapid Wien | 2–0 | Sparta Prague | Czechoslovakia |
| 1930 | Austria | Rapid Wien | 2–3 | Sparta Prague | Czechoslovakia |
| 1931 | Austria | First Vienna | 3–2 | Wiener AC | Austria |
| 1931 | Austria | First Vienna | 2–1 | Wiener AC | Austria |
| 1932 | Italy | Bologna | — | None | None |
| 1933 | Austria | Austria Wien | 1–2 | Ambrosiana-Inter | Italy |
| 1933 | Austria | Austria Wien | 3–1 | Ambrosiana-Inter | Italy |
| 1934 | Italy | Bologna | 2–3 | Admira Wien | Austria |
| 1934 | Italy | Bologna | 5–1 | Admira Wien | Austria |
| 1935 | Czechoslovakia | Sparta Prague | 1–2 | Ferencváros | Hungary |
| 1935 | Czechoslovakia | Sparta Prague | 3–0 | Ferencváros | Hungary |
| 1936 | Austria | Austria Wien | 0–0 | Sparta Prague | Czechoslovakia |
| 1936 | Austria | Austria Wien | 1–0 | Sparta Prague | Czechoslovakia |
| 1937 | Hungary | Ferencváros | 4–2 | Lazio | Italy |
| 1937 | Hungary | Ferencváros | 5–4 | Lazio | Italy |
| 1938 | Czechoslovakia | Slavia Prague | 2–2 | Ferencváros | Hungary |
| 1938 | Czechoslovakia | Slavia Prague | 2–0 | Ferencváros | Hungary |
| 1939 | Hungary | Újpest | 4–1 | Ferencváros | Hungary |
| 1939 | Hungary | Újpest | 2–2 | Ferencváros | Hungary |
| 1940 | None | None | N/A | Rapid București Ferencváros | Romania Hungary |
| 1941–50 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| 1951 | Austria | Rapid Wien | 3–2 | Admira Wien | Austria |
| 1952–54 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| 1955 | Hungary | Vörös Lobogó | 6–0 | ÚDA Prague | Czechoslovakia |
| 1955 | Hungary | Vörös Lobogó | 2–1 | ÚDA Prague | Czechoslovakia |
| 1956 | Hungary | Vasas | 3–3 | Rapid Wien | Austria |
| 1956 | Hungary | Vasas | 1–1 | Rapid Wien | Austria |
| 1956 | Hungary | Vasas | 9–2 | Rapid Wien | Austria |
| 1957 | Hungary | Vasas | 4–0 | Vojvodina | Yugoslavia |
| 1957 | Hungary | Vasas | 1–2 | Vojvodina | Yugoslavia |
| 1958 | Yugoslavia | Red Star Belgrade | 4–1 | Rudá Hvězda Brno | Czechoslovakia |
| 1958 | Yugoslavia | Red Star Belgrade | 3–2 | Rudá Hvězda Brno | Czechoslovakia |
| 1959 | Hungary | Honvéd | 4–3 | MTK | Hungary |
| 1959 | Hungary | Honvéd | 2–2 | MTK | Hungary |
| 1960 | Hungary | Hungary | Hungary | Hungary | Hungary |
| 1961 | Italy | Bologna | 2–2 | Slovan Nitra | Czechoslovakia |
| 1961 | Italy | Bologna | 3–0 | Slovan Nitra | Czechoslovakia |
| 1962 | Hungary | Vasas | 5–1 | Bologna | Italy |
| 1962 | Hungary | Vasas | 1–2 | Bologna | Italy |
| 1963 | Hungary | MTK Budapest | 2–1 | Vasas | Hungary |
| 1963 | Hungary | MTK Budapest | 1–1 | Vasas | Hungary |
| 1964 | Czechoslovakia | Sparta Prague | 0–0 | Slovan Bratislava | Czechoslovakia |
| 1964 | Czechoslovakia | Sparta Prague | 2–0 | Slovan Bratislava | Czechoslovakia |
| 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 |
| 1966–67 | Czechoslovakia | Spartak Trnava | 3–1 | Újpesti Dózsa | Hungary |
| 1967–68 | Yugoslavia | Red Star Belgrade | 0–1 | Spartak Trnava | Czechoslovakia |
| 1967–68 | Yugoslavia | Red Star Belgrade | 4–1 | Spartak Trnava | Czechoslovakia |
| 1968–69 | Czechoslovakia | Inter Bratislava | 4–1 | Sklo Union Teplice | Czechoslovakia |
| 1968–69 | Czechoslovakia | Inter Bratislava | 0–0 | Sklo Union Teplice | Czechoslovakia |
| 1969–70 | Hungary | Vasas | 1–2 | Inter Bratislava | Czechoslovakia |
| 1969–70 | Hungary | Vasas | 4–1 | Inter Bratislava | Czechoslovakia |
| 1970–71 | Yugoslavia | Čelik Zenica | 3–1 | Austria Salzburg | Austria |
| 1971–72 | Yugoslavia | Čelik Zenica | 0–0 | Fiorentina | Italy |
| 1971–72 | Yugoslavia | Čelik Zenica | 1–0 | Fiorentina | Italy |
| 1972–73 | Hungary | Tatabányai Bányász | 2–1 | Čelik Zenica | Yugoslavia |
| 1972–73 | Hungary | Tatabányai Bányász | 2–1 | Čelik Zenica | Yugoslavia |
| 1973–74 | Hungary | Tatabányai Bányász | 3–2 | ZVL Zilina | Czechoslovakia |
| 1973–74 | Hungary | Tatabányai Bányász | 2–0 | ZVL Zilina | Czechoslovakia |
| 1974–75 | Austria | Wacker Innsbruck | 3–1 | Honvéd | Hungary |
| 1974–75 | Austria | Wacker Innsbruck | 2–1 | Honvéd | Hungary |
| 1975–76 | Austria | Wacker Innsbruck | 3–1 | Velež Mostar | Yugoslavia |
| 1975–76 | Austria | Wacker Innsbruck | 3–1 | Velež Mostar | Yugoslavia |
| 1976–77 | Yugoslavia | Vojvodina | RR | Vasas | Hungary |
| 1977–78 | Yugoslavia | Partizan | 1–0 | Honvéd | Hungary |
| 1978–79 | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | 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 | Czechoslovakia | Baník Ostrava | 2–1 | Bologna | Italy |
| 1988 | Czechoslovakia | Baník Ostrava | 2–1 | Bologna | Italy |
| 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

* ↑ The final was scratched and Bologna were awarded the cup after Slavia Prague and Juventus were both ejected from the competition.
* ↑ 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.
* ↑ The 1951 edition of Mitropa Cup was unofficial and only for this tournament was named Zentropa Cup.
* ↑ The 1958 edition of Mitropa Cup was unofficial and only for this tournament was named Danube Cup.
* ↑ 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

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, 1988 |
| 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, 1987–88 | 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 | – | 1988 | – |
| 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 | – | 1987–88 |
| BVSC | – | 1 | – | 1992 |
| Rapid București | – | 1 | – | 1940 |

### Titles by country

| Country | Titles |
| Hungary | 16 |
| Italy | 11 |
| Czechoslovakia | 8 |
| Yugoslavia | 8 |
| Austria | 7 |

## Top scorers (1927–1940)
### By year

| 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 |
| 1933 | František Kloz | 5 | 4 | 1.25 |
| 1933 | Giuseppe Meazza | 5 | 6 | 0.83 |
| 1933 | Matthias Sindelar | 5 | 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)

| 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)
### By season

| Season | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1951 | Erich Probst | Rapid Wien | 5 |
| 1955 | János Molnár | Vörös Lobogó | 9 |
| 1955 | Nándor Hidegkuti | Vörös Lobogó | 9 |
| 1956 | Lajos Csordás | Vasas | 8 |
| 1957 | Johann Riegler | Rapid Wien | 5 |
| 1957 | Dezső Bundzsák | Vasas | 5 |
| 1959 | Lajos Tichy | Budapest Honvéd | 9 |
| 1960 | Sulejman Rebac | Velez Mostar | 4 |
| 1961 | Milan Dolinský | Red Star Bratislava | 7 |
| 1961 | 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 | Csepel SC | 3 |
| 1981–82 | Jiří Šourek | Vítkovice | 3 |

## Mitropa Super Cup

Additionally, a "Mitropa Super Cup" was contested in 1989 between the winners of 1988 and 1989. Ostrava won the first leg 3–0 on 12 April 1989.
| Year | Champion | Result | Runner-up |
| 1989 | Baník Ostrava | 3–0 | Pisa |
| 1989 | Baník Ostrava | 1–3 (a.e.t.) | Pisa |