IFFHS HISTORY AND STATISTICS - THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL CUP (part 1)


Picture : Italy, winner of the first Central European International Cup 1927-1930


IFFHS HISTORY AND STATISTICS


THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL CUP (Part 1)

 

Between 1927 and 1960, some national teams from Central Europe decided , on the initiative of Hugo Meisl , the Austrian Football pioneer and one of the « fathers » of European Football, to create the Central European International Cup . Antonin Svehla, the prime minister of Czechoslovakia, donated the Trophy named Svehla Cup. After the second World War, the new Trophy was named Gero Cup in honour of Josef Gero, director of the Austrian Football Association. The competition for professional and amateur nation teams interested Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Switzerland and Yugoslavia. Played as a League (home and away matches), the Cup was contested six times (1927 to 1930, 1931 to 1932, 1933 to 1935, 1936 to 1938, 1948 to 1953, 1955 to 1960). In 1960, the UEFA organised the first European Football Championship (Euro) and so the competition of the Central European International Cup was definitively closed.



Hugo Meisl, the Austrian Pioneer


The first tournament (1927 – 1930) was won by Italy before Czechoslovakia and Austria. IFFHS, in collaboration with his member SOCCERDATA, will publish the statistics and details of each Tournament.

 

Part 1 :  Central European International Cup 1927 - 1930