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

History

It was invented in 1897 in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

by John Gramlick, who was one of the founders of

Vienna Cricket and Football-Club Vienna Cricket and Football-Club is a sports club based on Döbling district, Vienna. Established on 23 August 1894, it is the second oldest team after their rivals First Vienna FC 1894. It is familiarly known to Austrians by the English name ''C ...

. 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 en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

and

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

.RSSSF: Austria/Habsburg Monarchy - Challenge Cup 1897-1911
/ref> It was played in a knockout format.IFFHS: Challenge Cup: Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (1897-1911)
/ref> 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 Wiener Sport-Club, sometimes abbreviated as WSC, was established in 1883 in Vienna, Austria and is one of the country's oldest athletics clubs. Their traditional home is in the Dornbach quarter of the city ( 17th district). History At vari ...

. 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 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-Hunga ...

, established in 1927.

Champions

List of finals

Titles by club

Titles by country

References