Central European International Cup

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Central European International Cup
Founded 1927
Abolished 1960
Region Central Europe

The Central European International Cup was an international football competition held by certain national teams from Central Europe between 1927 and 1960.[1] There were competitions for professional and amateur teams. Participating nations were Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Switzerland and (in the final competition) Yugoslavia. Poland and Rumania only competed in the amateur competition.

Played as a league on a home and away basis, it was contested six times and each single tournament usually took more than two years to complete. The last two tournaments lasted five years. It was discontinued in 1960, when the European Football Championship started. Winners of the competition included the Austrian Wunderteam of the early 1930s, the Italy team that also won two World Cups in the 1930s, the Golden Team of Hungary and the Czechoslovakia team that later finished as World Cup runners up in 1962.

Trophy

The trophy of the early competitions was named Švehla Cup after Antonín Švehla, the prime minister of Czechoslovakia, who donated it. After the Second World War the new trophy was known as the Dr. Gerö Cup in honour of Josef Gerö, a director of the Austrian Football Association and former match referee.

History

The competition was conceived by the Austrian football pioneer Hugo Meisl, regarded by some as one of the fathers of European football. Meisl was also behind the launch of the Mitropa Cup, a knockout competition for club teams from the same countries which also began in 1927. He also managed Austria during the Wunderteam era of the 1930s and led them to victory in the 1931-32 competition.

The first tournament played between 1927 and 1930 had been won by an Italy team inspired by Giuseppe Meazza. Meazza and Italy also won the 1933-35 competition. This time the team was coached by Vittorio Pozzo and either side of winning this competition they also won two World Cups in 1934 and 1938. The fourth tournament which began in 1936 was eventually abandoned due to the Anschluss Crisis and because of the Second World War, while a fifth tournament was not held until 1948. This tournament marked the advent of the Golden Team of Hungary, coached by Gusztáv Sebes and featuring Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, Sándor Kocsis, Nándor Hidegkuti, József Bozsik and Gyula Grosics. They claimed the trophy after a 3-0 win over Italy in Rome in 1953.

Winners

Final placings

Years Classification
Winner Points Runner-up Points Third place Points
1927–1930  Italy 11  Austria 10  Czechoslovakia 9
1931–1932  Austria 11  Italy 9  Hungary 8
1933–1935  Italy 11  Austria 9  Hungary 9
1936–1938 Tournament was interrupted due to Anschluss March 12 1938.
1948–1953  Hungary 11  Czechoslovakia 9  Austria 9
1955–1960  Czechoslovakia 16  Hungary 15  Austria 11
Years Classification (Amateur Competition)
Winner Points Runner-up Points Third place Points
1929–1930  Poland 7  Hungary (A) 6  Austria (A) 6
1933–1934  Romania 9  Hungary (A) 6  Czechoslovakia (A) 5

Topscorers

Years Top Scorers
Goals Striker National team
1927–1930 6 goals Julio Libonatti
Gino Rossetti
Italy
Italy
1931–1932 8 goals István Avar Hungary
1933–1935 7 goals Leopold Kielholz
György Sárosi
Switzerland
Hungary
1936–1938 10 goals György Sárosi Hungary
1948–1953 10 goals Ferenc Puskás Hungary
1955–1960 7 goals Lajos Tichy Hungary

See also

References

  1. Leo Schidrowitz "Internationaler Cup", Vienna 1954

External links

Template:Friendly association football tournaments in Hungary

Template:Friendly association football tournaments in Yugoslavia