1926–27 Swiss Cup

The 1926–27 Swiss Cup was the second edition of Switzerland's football cup competition, organised by the Swiss Football Association since the last season 1925–26. This competition was to be continued annually.

The 1920s not only saw a rapid rise in the popularity of top-level football, but also a decade of rapid growth in grassroots football. In the interwar period, young men were gripped by a "football fever" that was repeatedly lamented in educational circles. In the first post-war season, the football section of the Swiss Football and Athletics Federation (SFAV) had 126 clubs with 20,696 members. By the 1930/31 season, this number had risen to 328 clubs with 66,966 members. After the end of the first world war, especially during the early 1920s, many new football clubs were formed. By around 1925 at the latest, every larger Swiss town seems to have had a football pitch and its own club. Top level organised football also experienced a boom. Not only were small clubs being formed, the larger already existing clubs were expanding and growing too. Between 1922 and 1930, twelve new football stadiums were built, each with a capacity of over 10,000 spectators. However, the hoped-for spectator increases failed to materialise. Furthermore, semi- and fully professional football players began to emerge and transfer fees started to become a reality. Roughly speaking, the Swiss football movement had tripled in size in about a decade.^[1]

Switzerland also developed one of the first professional leagues in Europe, which contributed to the professionalisation of the sport. The clubs were modern and innovative, this put Swiss football on the European stage and during this period, many talented players ashined. The golden age of Swiss football was an era of growth, success, and innovation. The combination of sporting success and the development of professional structures laid the foundation for the future development of football in Switzerland and made the country one of the most innovative in European football at that time.^[1]

However, at this time, the Swiss league system was beginning to suffer a crisis and this would expand further during the following years. The structure of the Swiss championships provided for a Serie A with 27 teams (3 groups of 9 clubs), a Promotion Series of 54 teams (4 groups of 8 teams, 1 group with 7 and 1 group with nine teams) and, subsequently, the regional Serie B, C and D. There were continuous disagreements between smaller and larger clubs. For example, the smaller clubs wanted direct promotion without going through play-offs, while the larger clubs, with some professional and semi-professional players, were insisting on separating the championship from the lower leagues, in a system similar to that which had already been implemented in Italy in 1922. However, this wish was not adhered to.^[2]

In the meantime, to try and relieve these uprising confrontations and the resulting awkward situation, the competition called Swiss Cup was organized for the season 1925–26 by the SFAV. The first edition was a success and this season 88 clubs applied to participate for the "Sandoz Trophy," which is still in use today. Therefore, the preliminary round was expanded, 48 teams played a knock out round, to qualify for the 24 slots in the first round.^[3]

This season's cup competition began with the afore mentioned preliminary round, which was held in advance of the main competition. This qualifying round was played on the first Sunday in September 1926, thus also in advance of the domestic league season. The first principal round was played on the first Sunday in October. The competition was to be completed on Sunday 3 April 1927 with the final, which this year took place at the Förrlibuck in Zürich.

The preliminary round was held for the lower league teams that were not qualified for the main competition. Reserve teams were not admitted to the competition. The 27 clubs from this season's top-tier, the 1926–27 Serie A, joined the cup competition in the first principal round, which was played on Sunday 3 October 1926.

The matches were played in a knockout format. In the event of a draw after 90 minutes, the match went into extra time. In the event of a draw at the end of extra time, if agreed between the clubs, a second extra time was played. If the score was still level at the final whistle, a replay was foreseen and this was played on the visiting team's pitch. If no replay was agreed or if the replay ended in a draw after extra time, a toss of a coin would establish which team was qualified for the next round.^[4]

The lower league teams that had not qualified for the main competition competed here in a knockout qualification round. Reserve teams were not admitted to the competition. The aim of this preliminary stage was to reduce the number of lower league teams before the first round was played. The winners of the qualification were to join the clubs from the top-tier that were automatically qualified. The draw in the qualifying stage, and also in the early rounds of the main competition, respected local regionalities. The qualification round was played in advance of the lower leagues regional season, early in September.

The winners of the qualification round were to join the clubs from the lower leagues that had already qualified and the teams from the top-tier that were automatically qualified. The draw in the early rounds of the main competition respected local regionalities, whenever possible.

• Note to match Biel-Bienne–Cantonal: The player Würthrich of Biel-Bienne was not qualified. The result was annulled and awarded as 3–0 victory for Cantonal Neuchâtel.

• Both teams played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier).

• Both teams played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier).

• Both teams played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier).

• Zürich played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier), Red Star in the Serie Promotion (second-tier).

Replay

• Both teams played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier).

• Both teams played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier).

• Zürich played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier), Bellinzona in the Serie B (third tier).

• Note to match La Chaux-de-Fonds–Grenchen: Due to bad weather in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the match was played in Grenchen.

• Grasshopper Club played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier), Töss in the Serie Promotion (second tier).

• Both teams played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier).

• CS La Tour-de-Peilz played the 1926/27 season in the Serie Promotion (second tier), Solothurn in the Serie A (top-tier).

• Both teams played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier).

• Both teams played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier).

• Chiasso played the 1926/27 season in the Serie Promotion (second tier). Lugano in the Serie A (top-tier).

• Due to bad weather in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the match was rescheduled from 5 December, but was played in Grenchen.
• Both teams played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier).

• Both teams played the 1926/27 season in the Serie A (top-tier).

The final was held at the beginning of April 1927. The location for the final was decided by a toss of a coin between the two finalists. FC Young Fellows won this draw and so the final was held at their home ground, the Förrlibuck in Zürich.

Grasshopper Club won the cup for the second time in a row.^[4]

• 1926–27 Swiss Serie A
• 1926–27 FC Basel season

• Fussball-Schweiz
• Switzerland 1926–27 at RSSSF