In 1938, during the Central European Cup quarterfinals, Inter Milan suffered their worst-ever European defeat, a 9-0 away loss to Slavia Prague, with “Pepi” Bican scoring four goals.
The history between Inter Milan and Slavia Prague is intertwined with defunct cups, legendary goalscorers, and somber historical periods. Their first encounter took place on July 11, 1938, just months before the Munich Conference where Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy agreed to the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia`s Sudetenland region. This event marked a significant step towards World War II. It was in this pre-war atmosphere that Inter endured its most crushing European defeat: a 9-0 thrashing in Prague during the quarterfinals of the Central European Cup, the precursor to the Mitropa Cup, a competition that ceased in 1992.
The Details of the Rout
Inter`s squad for that match included several players who had just become 1938 World Champions: Giuseppe “Peppin” Meazza, Ugo Locatelli, Giovanni Ferrari, Renato Olmi, and Pietro Ferraris. The coach, Armando Castellazzi, had also won the World Cup as a player four years prior. Inter, then known as Ambrosiana Inter, conceded nine goals sequentially at Prague`s old Letna Stadium. The star of the day was “Pepi” Bican, widely considered the third most prolific goalscorer in football history, behind only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. That day, Bican alone scored four goals. Václav Horak and Rudolf Vytlacil each added two, and Vojtech Brada scored one. Slavia Prague went on to win the trophy that year, defeating Ferencvaros in the final. Prior to that, they had also eliminated Genoa. Bican continued his prolific form, scoring another four goals in the return leg, and finished as the tournament`s top scorer with 10 goals.
Historical Context and Later Encounters
Czechoslovakia celebrated its third European club trophy in its history, following Sparta Prague`s victories in 1927 and 1935. However, within a few months, the country would descend into a nightmare, with its full annexation by Nazi Germany on March 15, 1939. Bican continued his career in Prague until 1948, returning in 1953 to play for a couple more years before retiring. He boasts an incredible record of 540 goals in 282 games, though the exact number of his career goals remains a subject of eternal debate, his four goals in that 9-0 thrashing are undisputed. Inter and Slavia Prague would not meet again for 81 years until 2019, when Inter visited Prague winning 3-1, followed by a 1-1 draw at San Siro. It was a different era of football, a different world entirely.
