The Challenge Cup (German: Challenge Cup, Hungarian: Challenge Kupa) was an international competition for football clubs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that ran from 1897 to 1911.

History

First Vienna FC, 1899 winners

It was invented in 1897 in Vienna by John Gramlick, who was one of the founders of Vienna Cricket and Football-Club. The competition was open for all clubs in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but practically all the participating teams came from the three major cities Vienna, Budapest and Prague.^[1] It was played in a knockout format.^[2]

The trophy was to be kept by the first team to win it in three consecutive seasons. In 1903 the rule was changed and the trophy is now in the possession of its last winner Wiener Sport-Club. The Challenge Cup was ceased in 1911. Today it is seen as the predecessor to the Austrian Cup (first held in 1918) and the Mitropa Cup, established in 1927.^[1]

Champions

List of finals

Season	Country	Champion	Runner-up	Result
1897–98	Austria	Vienna Cricket FC	Wiener FC 1898	7–0
1898–99	Austria	First Vienna FC	AC Viktoria Wien	4–1
1899–1900	Austria	First Vienna FC	Vienna Cricket FC	2–0
1900–01	Austria	Wiener AC	SK Slavia Prague	1–0
1901–02	Austria	Vienna Cricket FC	Budapesti TC	2–1
1902–03	Austria	Wiener AC	ČAFC Královské Vinohrady	w/o
1903–04	Austria	Wiener AC	Vienna Cricket FC	7–0
1904–05	Austria	Wiener Sport-Club	Magyar AC	2–1
1905–06	(Not held)
1906–07	(Not held)
1907–08	(Not held)
1908–09	Hungary	Ferencváros	Wiener Sport-Club	2–1
1909–10	Not Held
1910–11	Austria	Wiener Sport-Club	Ferencváros	3–0

Titles by club

Country	Club	Titles	Winning season
Austria	Wiener AC	3	1901, 1903, 1904
Austria	Vienna Cricket FC	2	1898, 1902
Austria	Wiener Sport-Club	2	1905, 1911
Austria	First Vienna FC	2	1899, 1900
Hungary	Ferencváros	1	1909

Titles by country

Country	Titles
Austria	9
Hungary	1

See also

• Austrian Cup
• Mitropa Cup
• Balkans Cup
• Latin Cup
• European Railways Cup

References