The 1939–40 Swiss Cup was the 15th season of Switzerland's football cup competition, organised annually since the 1925–26 season by the Swiss Football Association.
Overview Preamble In Switzerland during the second world war period, sport became an integral part of the "spiritual national defense". This was a political and cultural movement that had already become increasingly important during the late 1930s. Politicians, intellectuals and media professionals had increasingly called for measures to strengthen Switzerland's basic cultural values. Since the Nationalliga games were also considered to be one of the activities that seemed important for maintaining the morale of the population, the military authorities put considerably fewer obstacles in the way of the top players and leading clubs as they had during the previous World War.
Nevertheless, the outbreak of the Second World War, triggered by the German attack on Poland on 1 September 1939, was also a shock for Switzerland, although international signs had been pointing towards a war for quite some time. On 30 August, the Federal Assembly in Switzerland elected staff officer Henri Guisan as Commander-in-Chief of the Army. On 2 September, general mobilisation for war took place. The national exhibition in Zurich, during which the national football team had also played representative matches against teams from neighbouring countries, was closed for some time. The general mobilisation brought regular championship operations to a standstill, and in its place an improvised mobilisation championship was held without automatic promotion or relegation. In some cases the games could not be played or were postponed because the clubs did not have enough players available and the same situation also found place in the cup competition.
Format This season's cup competition began with a preliminary round, which was played, with one exception, on the week-end of 22 October 1939. The competition was to be completed on Easter Monday, 25 March 1940, with the final, which since a few years, was held in the country's capital, at the former Wankdorf Stadium in Bern. The preliminary round was held for the lower league teams that had not qualified themselves for the competition. The lower league teams that had qualified via their regional football association's own cup competitions, or had achieved their association's requirements, joined the competition in the first round. The clubs from this season's 1. Liga were given a bye for the first round and started in the second round. The clubs from the 1939–40 Nationalliga were given byes for the first three rounds. These teams joined the competition in the fourth round which was played on the first week-end in the New Year.
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 replay was foreseen and this was played on the visiting team's pitch. Rules and regulations to this situation were altered and amended continuously by each regional football association, due to the current situation (second world war). If the replay ended in a draw after extra time, or if a replay had not been agreed, a toss of a coin would establish the team that qualified for the next round.
Preliminary round The lower league teams that had not qualified themselves for the competition via their regional football association's own regional cup competitions or had not achieved their association's requirements, competed here in a second chance round. Reserve teams were not admitted to the competition. The draw respected local regionalities. The preliminary was delayed from Mid-September due to the outbreak of the war, but was nevertheless played just a few weeks later, starting on 15 October and then continued on 22 October 1939. Summary
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|15 October 1939
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|22 October 1939
Replay
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|29 October 1939
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|5 November 1939
Matches
Round 1 In the first round, the lower league teams that had already qualified themselves for the competition through their regional football association's own regional requirements competed here, together with the winners of the preliminary round. All the teams from this years 1. Liga were given a bye and they started in the next round. Whenever possible, the draw respected local regionalities. The first round took place on the first week-end in November, with a few exceptions. Summary
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|5 November 1939
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|19 November 1939
Note: The match Küsnacht–Ticinese was abandoned during play, Ticinese qualified for next round The teams from FC Sierre, FC Thalwil, SV Helvetik Basel, SC Derendingen, FC Yverdon and FC Laufen received byes.
Replays
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|12 November 1939
Matches
Round 2 The winning teams from the first round were joined by the 24 teams from this years reorganised 1. Liga to compete in the second round at the end of November. Summary
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|26 November 1939
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|10 December 1939
Replays
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|10 December 1939
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|17 December 1939
Second replay
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|24 December 1939
Matches
Round 3 Summary
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|24 December 1939
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|31 December 1939
Replays
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|31 December 1939
Matches
Round 4 The teams from this season's Nationalliga, who had received byes for the first three rounds, entered the cup competition in this round. The teams from the Nationalliga were seeded and could not be drawn against each other. Whenever possible, the draw respected local regionalities. The games of the fourth round were to be played the first Sunday of the New Year. Summary
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|7 January 1940
Replays
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|21 January 1940
Matches
Round 5 Summary
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|28 January 1940
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|11 February 1940
Replay
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|18 February 1940
Matches
Quarter-finals Summary
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|25 February 1940
Matches
Semi-finals Summary
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|10 March 1940
Matches
Final The final was traditionally held in the capital Bern, at the former Wankdorf Stadium, on Easter Monday 1940. Summary
|colspan="3" style="background-color:#99CCCC"|25 March 1940
Telegram
Grasshopper Club won the cup and this was the club's seventh cup title to this date.
Further in Swiss football 1939–40 Nationalliga 1939–40 Swiss 1. Liga 1939–40 FC Basel season 1939–40 BSC Young Boys season
References
Sources Fussball-Schweiz FCB Cup games 1939–40 at fcb-achiv.ch Switzerland 1939–40 at RSSSF