The Forgotten Cup: History of the Mitropa Cup, Mother of the Champions League (1927-1940)

by Jo Araf

Overview

The Forgotten Cup tells the colourful story of the Mitropa Cup, the inter-war equivalent of today's Champions League. One of the most prestigious football stages of the era - along with the World Cup, which was first played in 1930 - it was a tournament to determine the kings of Europe at the end of a round-robin competition. European football at the highest level was dominated by Italian and Danubian teams - Austrian, Hungarian and Czechoslovakian - and would remain so until the end of the Second World War. The top teams of the time have now fallen into oblivion, and the exploits of Europe's football stars are largely forgotten. Matthias Sindelar, Karel Pešek 'Kád'a, Giuseppe Meazza, György Sárosi and Josef Bican along with a few others were the icons of a sport that had just turned professional, born out of the frictions of a politically heated era with an atmosphere that reverberated on the pitch. The Forgotten Cup takes us back to that lost age.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781801504379
Publisher:	Pitch Publishing Ltd
Publication date:	05/08/2023
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.67(w) x 8.74(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jo Araf has a lifelong passion for writing. He works as a translator and owns a translation agency. He is also co-owner of the online sports magazine Gameofgoals.it. In 2019, he released his first book on the Austrian Wunderteam to resurrect a remarkable but little-known tale that combines two of his greatest interests: football and history. That book was published for the UK market by Pitch Publishing in 2021.

Editorial Reviews

"It’s a very interesting book on a long-forgotten competition that was the precursor to the European Cup and (later and current) Champions League… Seems obvious to me that much effort and research has gone into The Forgotten Cup and it’s been an education to delve into its 256 pages. Trivia and trainspotting brought to life by passionate writer Jo Araf."

Dare Radio - Mark Watkins

"The powerhouses of Europe contested a forerunner to the European Cup called the Mitropa Cup, launched in 1927 and taking its name from its sponsors, a company that managed the sleeping and dining cars of trains travelling through Europe. Writer Jo Araf tracks the fascinating history of a tournament of which most modern fans would never have heard."

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