Mediterranean Cup (men's football)

Last updated

Mediterranean Cup
Founded1949
Abolished1958
RegionMediterranean
Teams4 to 6 teams
Last champions Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg Spain B
Most championships Flag of Italy.svg Italy B (2)

The Mediterranean Cup was an association football competition contested by men's national teams and national B teams of the states bordering the Mediterranean Sea. There have been three tournaments for the Mediterranean Cup: the first one was officially called Eastern Mediterranean Friendship Cup, the second was called Eastern Mediterranean Cup and the last one was just "Mediterranean Cup". [1]

Contents

Italy, Egypt, Greece and Turkey were the four participants of the first two editions (Italy played with the national B team). [2] [3] Spain and France joined in the last edition (both with the national B team). [4] The first edition, the only one with a permanent location, Athens, was played in 1949, lasted less than a month and was won by Italy B. The second edition, from 1950 to 1953, was won again by Italy B. The third and last edition, from 1953 to 1958, was won by Spain B.

Due to political/social reasons (tension between Greece and Turkey, troubles in Egypt) and the introduction of the European Championships in 1960, led to the abolition of further tournaments.[ citation needed ]

Results

PeriodChampionRunner-upThird place
1949 Flag of Italy.svg Italy B Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Flag of Egypt (1922-1958).svg  Egypt
1950–53 Flag of Italy.svg Italy B Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece Flag of Egypt (1922-1958).svg  Egypt
1953–58 Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg Spain B Flag of France.svg France B Flag of Italy.svg Italy B

1949

[5]

Results

TeamPtsPldWDLGFGAGD
Flag of Italy.svg Italy B 6330085+3
Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey 4320176+1
Flag of Egypt (1922-1958).svg Egypt 23102660
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Greece 0300348-4
Flag of Egypt (1922-1958).svg Egypt 2–3 Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey
Report
Leoforos Alexandras Stadium , Athens, Greece
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Agostino Gamba (Italy)

Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Greece 1–2 Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey
Report
Leoforos Alexandras Stadium , Athens, Greece
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Mohammed Al Sayed (Egypt)

Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Greece 1–3 Flag of Egypt (1922-1958).svg Egypt
Report
Leoforos Alexandras Stadium , Athens, Greece
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Agostino Gamba (Italy)

Flag of Italy.svg Italy B 3–2 Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey
Report
Leoforos Alexandras Stadium , Athens, Greece
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Vasilis Diamantopoulos (Greece)

Flag of Egypt (1922-1958).svg Egypt 1–2 Flag of Italy.svg Italy B
Report
Leoforos Alexandras Stadium , Athens, Greece
Attendance: 19,000
Referee: Sotiris Asprogerakas (Greece)

Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Greece 2–3 Flag of Italy.svg Italy B
Report
Leoforos Alexandras Stadium , Athens, Greece
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Mohammed Al Sayed (Egypt)

Top Scorers

PlayerTeamGoals
Aldo Puccinelli Flag of Italy.svg Italy B 3
Bülent Esel Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 3
Alberto Galassi Flag of Italy.svg Italy B 3

All-time top goalscorers

RankNameTeamGoalsAppsRatioTournament(s)
1 Flag of Spain.svg Manuel Badenes Spain B 8241953-58(8)
2 Flag of Egypt (1922-1958).svg El-Sayed El-Dhizui Egypt 7120.581950-53(4) and 1953-58(3)
3 Flag of Spain.svg Joaquín Peiró Spain B 5511953-58(5)
Flag of Spain.svg Justo Tejada 511953-58(5)
Flag of Turkey.svg Bülent Esel Turkey 60.831949(3) and 1950-53(2)
Flag of Turkey.svg Lefter Küçükandonyadis 90.561950-53(1) and 1953-58(4)
7 Flag of Egypt (1922-1958).svg Toto 480.51949(2) and 1950-53(2)
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Georgios Darivas Greece 110.361950-53(4)

Hat-tricks

Since the first official tournament in 1949, 5 hat-tricks have been scored in over 50 matches of the 3 editions of the tournament. The first hat-trick was scored by Georgios Darivas of Greece, playing against Turkey on 29 February 1952; and the last was by Joaquín Peiró, netting a hat-trick for Spain B in a 3-1 win over Italy B on 16 October 1958. The record for the most goals scored in a single Mediterranean Cup game is 4, which has been achieved on two occasion: both by Manuel Badenes when he scored 4 for Spain B in a 7-1 win over Greece and 4 again in a 5-1 win over Egypt. These two 4-goal haul single-handendely make him the all-time top goal scorer of the competition with 8 goals. Badenes is also the only player to have scored two hat-tricks in the Mediterranean Cup. Spain B holds the record for most hat-tricks scored with 3, and Egypt holds the record for most hat-tricks conceded with 2.

List

Mediterranean Cup hat-tricks
#PlayerGTime of goalsForResultAgainstTournamentDateFIFA
report
1. Georgios Darivas 315', 44', 80'Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 3–1Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 1950-53 Mediterranean Cup 29 February 1952 Report
2. Manuel Badenes 47', 35', 51', 58' Flag of Spain.svg Spain B 7–1Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 1953–58 Mediterranean Cup 13 March 1955 Report
3. Manuel Badenes (2)447', 70', 73', 87'5–1Flag of Egypt (1922-1958).svg  Egypt 27 November 1955 Report
4. Lefter Küçükandonyadis 33', 41', 65'Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 4–05 April 1957 Report
5. Joaquín Peiró 325', 49', 60' Flag of Spain.svg Spain B 3–1 Flag of Italy.svg Italy B 16 October 1958 Report

See also

References

  1. "Mediterranean Cup and Mediterranean Games – Overview". RSSSF . Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  2. "Mediterranean Cup 1949 (Athinai, Greece)". RSSSF . 21 April 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  3. "Mediterranean Cup 1950–1953". RSSSF . 21 April 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  4. "Mediterranean Cup 1953–1958". RSSSF . 17 March 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  5. "Eastern Mediterranean Friendship Cup 1949 results". football.eu. Retrieved 30 May 2022.