#OnThisDay: Bologna win the Central European International Cup on 17th July 1932
Bologna met First Vienna at home in the first leg of the semi-final on 10th July. The match was evenly contested with the returning Baldi and Schiavio not at their best. The Rossoblu defenders had a great game before Sansone scored in one of Bologna’s few counterattacks. In the second half, Maini struck to earn a surprise 2-0 win for the Italian side. On the 17th July on a sodden pitch in Vienna, the home side could have taken an early lead but Blum missed a penalty given for a foul by Monzeglio. After a quarter of an hour, the Austrians took the lead with a quickly taken free kick. Bologna were still arranging their wall when the ball was crossed and Schönwetter scored with a header. The rest was defence and counterattack but Bologna’s wall wasn’t breached again and the 1-0 loss earned them a place in the final.
But what of the final? In the other half of the draw, Juventus faced Slavia Prague in the semi-final and things quickly went downhill. Fans invaded the pitch, refereeing decisions were contested and players were pelted with projectiles. In the return leg, the Czechoslovak team left the pitch after their goalkeeper was floored by something hurled from the crowd. Faced with such an extreme situation, the organisation Committee met in Klagenfurt and took the surprising decision to punish both sides. The final would not be played and Bologna were declared the champions. The next meeting dismissed the appeal of Slavia and confirmed that the Rossoblu were the Central European International Cup winners for the 1931/32 season. It was the first time an Italian club had won an international tournament.
17th July 1932, semi-final, second leg
Vienna, Hohe Warte Stadion
FIRST VIENNA-BOLOGNA 1-0
FIRST VIENNA: Horezchowsky; Rainer, Blum; Kaller, Hoffmann, Schmaus; Brosenbauer, Adelbrecht, Gschweidl, Tögel, Schönwetter.
BOLOGNA: Gianni; Monzeglio, Gasperi; Montesanto, Baldi, Martelli; Maini, Sansone, Schiavio, Fedullo, Reguzzoni.
GOALSCORER: 16′ pen. Schonwetter