The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale 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.
Giuseppe Meazza was an Italian football manager and player. Throughout his career, he played mainly for Inter Milan in the 1930s, scoring 284 goals in 408 games for the club, and winning three Serie A titles, as well as the Coppa Italia; he later also played for two seasons for local rivals Milan, as well as Turin rivals Juventus for one season, in addition to his spells with Varese and Atalanta. At the international level, he led Italy to win two consecutive World Cups: in 1934 on home soil, and in 1938 as captain, being named to the All-star Team. Widely regarded as one of the best players of the 20th century, and one of the greatest Italian strikers in the history of the sport.
The Austria national football team represents Austria in men's international football competitions, and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association.
Josef "Pepi" Bican was an Austrian-Czechoslovakia professional footballer who played as a striker. He is regarded by many to be the greatest goalscorer in the history of the sport. He is considered by RSSSF as the second-most prolific goalscorer in history after Erwin Helmchen, with over 950 goals scored in 624 official matches. He scored 591 goals in 301 official games for Slavia Prague across his 11-year playing career at the club.
Giovanni Ferrari was an Italian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder/inside forward on the left. He is regarded as one of the best players of his generation, having won Serie A 8 times, as well as two consecutive FIFA World Cup titles with the Italy national football team. Along with Giuseppe Meazza and Eraldo Monzeglio, he is one of only three Italian players to have won two World Cups.
The Balkan Cup was an international association football competition contested on and off from 1929 to 1980 by countries from the Balkans region. The most successful team was Romania with four titles.
Gianpiero Combi was an Italian footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He spent his entire club career at Juventus, where he won five Italian League titles. At international level, he won the 1934 World Cup with the Italy national team, as well as two Central European International Cups, and an Olympic bronze medal in 1928.
Matthias Sindelar was an Austrian professional footballer. Regarded as one of the greatest Austrian players of all time, Sindelar notably played for Austria Vienna and the national side.
Angelo Schiavio was an Italian footballer who played as a forward. Schiavio spent his entire career with Bologna, the club of the city where he was born and died; he won four league titles with the club, and is the team's all-time highest goalscorer. He won the 1934 FIFA World Cup with Italy, finishing as the tournament's second highest goalscorer; winning the 1927–30 Central European International Cup & 1933–35 Central European International Cup and he also won a bronze medal with Italy at the 1928 Summer Olympics. Following his retirement, he later also managed both Bologna and the Italy national side.
György Sárosi was a Hungarian footballer. Sárosi was a complete footballer renowned for his versatility and technique among other things, and he played in several positions for Ferencváros and the Hungary national team. Essentially a second striker, he could also operate in midfield or central defence, and he helped Ferencváros win five Hungarian league titles between 1932 and 1941. He is considered one of the greatest players of the pre-war era.
Géza Toldi was a Hungarian footballer who played as a forward. He played for Ferencvárosi TC, and from 1934 to 1938 for the Hungarian national team, serving as captain in 1936. He scored a goal in the 1938 FIFA World Cup.
Hugo Meisl, brother of the journalist Willy Meisl, was the multi-lingual football coach of the famous Austrian 'Wunderteam' of the early 1930s, as well as a referee.
Wunderteam was the name given to the Austria national football team of the 1930s. Led by manager Hugo Meisl, the team had an unbeaten streak of 14 games between April 1931 and December 1932. The style of the team focused on quick passing introduced by Englishman Jimmy Hogan. The forward line was complemented by wide half-backs and an attacking centre-half. Matthias Sindelar, Josef Bican, Anton Schall, Josef Smistik and Walter Nausch were the referents of the team that would dominate European football during that era. Matthias Sindelar, known as Der Papierene due to his slight build, was the star and captain of the team.
Blagoje "Moša" Marjanović was a Serbian football player and manager.
Iuliu Bodola was a Romanian-Hungarian footballer who played as a striker. He represented both the Romania and Hungary national team at internationally level. His nickname was Duduş/Dudus. He is Romania's third all-time top goalscorer, and he is also the all-time top goal scorer of the Balkan Cup.
The 1927–30 Central European International Cup was the first edition of the football Central European International Cup and was held between September 18, 1927, and May 11, 1930. The tournament's structure included a round-robin competition for the five teams involved. As the winner was to receive a Bohemian crystal cup offered by Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia Antonín Švehla, the tournament became known as the Antonín Švehla Cup.
The 1931–32 Central European International Cup was the second edition of the Central European International Cup played between 1931 and 1932. It was played in a round robin tournament between five teams involved in the tournament.
The King Alexander's Cup or Friendship Cup was an international football competition contested by the national teams of Romania and Yugoslavia. The tournament was named after Alexander I, the King of Yugoslavia and was organized to celebrate the wedding of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia with the Princess Maria of Romania, the event being announced by the Romanian newspaper, Ecoul Sportiv on 28 May 1922: "On the occasion of the marriage of His Majesty King Alexander I with Her Royal Highness Princess Maria of Romania, His Majesty was pleased to donate a cup that will bear his name, to encourage the progress of the football-association sport in his country and in the country of his wife. This cup will be a challenge and will go definitely to the country which will win it three times in a row or five times in total." The 1936, 1937 and 1939 editions were called King Carol's Cup, after Carol II of Romania and the last edition was called King Mihai Cup named after Mihai of Romania. Between 1937 and 1938, the regular Friendship Cup played between Romania and Yugoslavia was extended to include Czechoslovakia for an mini tournament called Eduard Benes' Cup named after Edvard Beneš, the president of Czechoslovakia.
Czechoslovakia (1st title)
Italy (2 titles)
