Description
Book SynopsisThe 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.
Trade Review"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."
-- Mark Watkins * Dare Radio *
"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."
* Backpass magazine *
