Hugo Meisl's visionary idea that international club competitions would be both lucrative and a means of strengthening the standard of central European football were instrumental in elevating the Austrian, Hungarian and Czech game. The Danubian clubs were at the time equal to any in the World. The Mitropa Cup also provided the template for later international club competitions.
Let's look at the first 10 tournament winners and 9 finals:
1927 Sparta Prague
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1928 Ferencváros
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1929 Újpesti FC
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1930 Rapid (Vienna)
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A 2nd leg hattrick by Josef Košťálek was not enough for Sparta.
1931 First Vienna FC
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1932 Bologna
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Italian clubs had been participating since 1929 and Bologna were the first Italian winners. There was no final, however. Bologna won their semi final against First Vienna. The second leg of the other semi final, Juventus versus Slavia at Stadio di Corso Marsiglia, was abandoned. Juventus pulled back 2 goals having lost the away leg 4-0. Slavia then engaged time wasting tactics that enraged the crowd. Stones were thrown, Plánička was injured, Slavia walked off, both sides were ejected from the competition.
1933 Austria (Vienna)
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1935 Sparta Prague
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1936 Austria (Vienna)
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Camillo Jerusalem broke the deadlock in the 67th minute of the 2nd leg.
Winners by country:
Austria - 4
Let's look at the first 10 tournament winners and 9 finals:
1927 Sparta Prague
30.10.27 | Sparta | 6 | 2 | Rapid | Letna, Prague: 25,000 |
13.11.27 | Rapid | 2 | 1 | Sparta | Hohe Warte, Vienna: 40,000 |
Sparta | 7 | 4 | Rapid | ||
Káďa
Dual international (football and ice hockey) Karel Pešek-Káďa was the first captain to lift the trophy. He also put Sparta ahead in the first minute of their emphatic victory in the home leg of the final.
28.10.28 | Ferencváros | 7 | 1 | Rapid | Üllői úti ,Budapest: 25,000 |
11.11.28 | Rapid | 5 | 3 | Ferencváros | Hohe Warte, Vienna: 20,000 |
Ferencvaros | 10 | 6 | Rapid | ||
Takács
8 goals in each leg! József Takács, the tournament top scorer (10 goals) scored a hat trick in the first leg.
03.11.29 | Újpest | 5 | 1 | Slavia | Hungária körút,Budapest: 18,000 |
17.11.29 | Slavia | 2 | 2 | Újpest | Letna, Prague: 25,000 |
Újpest | 7 | 3 | Slavia | ||
Auer/Avar
Tournament top scorer was Újpest's Stefan Auer (aka Istavan Avar). He scored in both legs of the final. 1930 Rapid (Vienna)
02.11.30 | Sparta | 0 | 2 | Rapid | Letna, Prague: 25,000 |
11.11.30 | Rapid | 2 | 3 | Sparta | Hohe Warte, Vienna : 40,000 |
Rapid | 4 | 3 | Sparta | ||
A 2nd leg hattrick by Josef Košťálek was not enough for Sparta.
1931 First Vienna FC
08.11.31 | WAC | 2 | 3 | First Vienna | Hardturm , Zürich: 20,000 |
13.11.31 | First Vienna | 2 | 1 | WAC | Hohe Warte, Vienna : 25,000 |
First Vienna | 5 | 3 | WAC | ||
1932 Bologna
1933 Austria (Vienna)
03.09.33 | Ambrosiana | 2 | 1 | Austria | Arena Civica , Milan : 25,000 |
08.09.33 | Austria | 3 | 1 | Ambrosiana | Praterstadion, Vienna : 58,000 |
Austria | 4 | 3 | Ambrosiana | ||
Sindelar
Matthias Sindelar scored a hat trick in the second leg to win the trophy for Austria. 
Two legends: Sindelar and Meazza
1934 Bologna
05.09.34 | Admira | 3 | 2 | Bologna | Praterstadion, Vienna : 50,000 |
09.09.34 | Bologna | 5 | 1 | Admira | Littoriale, Bologna: 25,000 |
Bologna | 7 | 4 | Admira | ||
Reguzzoni
Carlo Reguzzoni scored a hat trick in Bologna's emphatic home win. He was also the competition's top scorer, with 10 goals.
1935 Sparta Prague
08.09.35 | Ferencvaros | 2 | 1 | Sparta | Ulloi Ut, Budapest: 34,000 |
15.09.35 | Sparta | 3 | 0 | Ferencvaros | Velký Strahovský Stadion: 56, 000 |
Sparta | 4 | 2 | Ferencvaros | ||
Braine
Belgium's Ray Braine scored 3 goals in the finals1936 Austria (Vienna)
06.09.36 | Austria | 0 | 0 | Sparta | Praterstadion, Vienna : 41,600 |
13.09.36 | Sparta | 0 | 1 | Austria | Velký Strahovský Stadion: 58,000 |
Austria | 1 | 0 | Sparta | ||
Jerusalem
Low scoring games were a rarity. 0-0 draws almost unheard of. During these 10 seasons Mitropa Cup ties produced an average of 4.2 goals per game. Camillo Jerusalem broke the deadlock in the 67th minute of the 2nd leg.
Winners by country:
Austria - 4
Hungary -2
Czechoslovakia -2
Italy - 2
Yugoslavia - 0
Switzerland - 0
