Austrian football champions

The Austrian football champions are the winners of the highest league of football in Austria. The championship has been contested through the Austrian Football Bundesliga since the 1974-1975 season.

History

From 1911 until 1923 the Austrian football championship was organized by the football association of Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) which was made up only of clubs from the nation's capital of Vienna. The championship was then taken over by the newly formed football association of Vienna (WFV, "Wiener Fußball-Verband"), which organized the first professional league in continental Europe in 1924-25.

In 1938 Austria was united with Germany in the Anschluss and the country's football competition became part of the German league structure as the Gauliga Ostmark. For the first time clubs from outside of Vienna were included in top-flight Austrian competition.

Austrian clubs took part in the German championship during this period. An "Austrian champion" would emerge out of divisional play in the Gauliga Ostmark and then move on to the German national playoffs with other Gauliga winners. Austrian clubs enjoyed a considerable measure of success playing in Germany, making three national final appearances and two Tschammerspokal (predecessor of today's German Cup) appearances: Rapid Vienna won the national title in 1941, while First Vienna took the Tschammerspokal in 1943.

Austrian football was again independent after World War II and championship play was limited to Viennese clubs until 1948-49 when clubs from the rest of Austria were re-admitted. In 1965, Linzer ASK became the first team from outside the capital to claim the Austrian title, leading the way for clubs such as FC Wacker Innsbruck, VÖEST Linz, SV Austria Salzburg, Sturm Graz, and Grazer AK.

List of Austrian national football champions

*2008 Rapid Vienna
*2007 FC Red Bull Salzburg
*2006 Austria Vienna
*2005 Rapid Vienna
*2004 Grazer AK (GAK)
*2003 Austria Vienna
*2002 FC Tirol Innsbruck
*2001 FC Tirol Innsbruck
*2000 FC Tirol Innsbruck
*1999 Sturm Graz
*1998 Sturm Graz
*1997 SV Salzburg
*1996 Rapid Vienna
*1995 SV Salzburg
*1994 SV Salzburg
*1993 Austria Vienna
*1992 Austria Vienna
*1991 Austria Vienna
*1990 FC Swarovski Tirol
*1989 FC Swarovski Tirol
*1988 Rapid Vienna
*1987 Rapid Vienna
*1986 Austria Vienna
*1985 Austria Vienna
*1984 Austria Vienna
*1983 Rapid Vienna
*1982 Rapid Vienna
*1981 Austria Vienna
*1980 Austria Vienna
*1979 Austria Vienna
*1978 Austria Vienna
*1977 Wacker Innsbruck
*1976 Austria Vienna/WAC
*1975 Wacker Innsbruck
*1974 VÖEST Linz
*1973 Wacker Innsbruck
*1972 Wacker Innsbruck
*1971 Wacker Innsbruck
*1970 Austria Vienna
*1969 Austria Vienna
*1968 Rapid Vienna
*1967 Rapid Vienna
*1966 Admira Vienna
*1965 LASK
*1964 Rapid Vienna
*1963 Austria Vienna
*1962 Austria Vienna
*1961 Austria Vienna
*1960 Rapid Vienna
*1959 Wiener Sportclub
*1958 Wiener Sportclub
*1957 Rapid Vienna
*1956 Rapid Vienna
*1955 First Vienna FC
*1954 Rapid Vienna
*1953 Austria Vienna
*1952 Rapid Vienna
*1951 Rapid Vienna
*1950 Austria Vienna
*1949 Austria Vienna
*1948 Rapid Vienna
*1947 Wacker Vienna
*1946 Rapid Vienna
*1945 Championship not completed
*1944 First Vienna FC (Gauliga Ostmark, Germany)
*1943 First Vienna FC (Gauliga Ostmark, Germany)
*1942 First Vienna FC (Gauliga Ostmark, Germany)
*1941 Rapid Vienna (Gauliga Ostmark, Germany)
*1940 Rapid Vienna (Gauliga Ostmark, Germany)
*1939 Admira Vienna (Gauliga Ostmark, Germany)
*1938 Rapid Vienna
*1937 Admira Vienna
*1936 Admira Vienna
*1935 Rapid Vienna
*1934 Admira Vienna
*1933 First Vienna FC
*1932 Admira Vienna
*1931 First Vienna FC
*1930 Rapid Vienna
*1929 Rapid Vienna
*1928 Admira Vienna
*1927 Admira Vienna
*1926 Amateure (Austria Vienna)
*1925 Hakoah Vienna
*1924 Amateure (Austria Vienna)
*1923 Rapid Vienna
*1922 Wiener Sportclub
*1921 Rapid Vienna
*1920 Rapid Vienna
*1919 Rapid Vienna
*1918 Floridsdorfer AC
*1917 Rapid Vienna
*1916 Rapid Vienna
*1915 Wiener AC (WAC)
*1914 Wiener AF (WAF)
*1913 Rapid Vienna
*1912 Rapid Vienna

Championships by club

* 32 SK Rapid Wien
* 23 FK Austria Wien
*8 SK Admira Wien
*6 First Vienna FC 1894
*5 FC Wacker Innsbruck
*3 SV Austria Salzburg
*3 Wiener Sport-Club, FC Tirol Innsbruck
*2 FC Swarovski Tirol, SK Sturm Graz
*1 Wiener AF, Wiener AC, Floridsdorfer AC, SC Hakoah Wien, SC Wacker Wien, Linzer ASK, SK VÖEST Linz, Grazer AK, FC Red Bull Salzburg

By state

* 76 Vienna (Rapid, Austria, Admira, First Vienna FC, Wiener Sportklub, WAC, WAF, Floridsdorfer AC, Hakoah and Wacker Vienna)
* 10 Tirol (Wacker Innsbruck/FC Tirol)
* 4 Salzburg (SV Salzburg, FC Red Bull Salzburg)
* 3 Styria (Sturm Graz and GAK)
* 2 Upper Austria (LASK and VÖEST Linz)

Name Changes

*"Austria Wien" was known as "Amateure" until 1926.

*"SK Admira Wien" and "SC Wacker Wien" merged in 1971 to form "FC Admira/Wacker" and played in the Südstadt Stadium at Maria Enzersdorf in Lower Austria. A subsequent merger with "VfB Mödling" in 1997 saw the club re-named "VfB Admira Wacker Mödling".

*"FC Wacker Innsbruck" changed names frequently and was also briefly united with "WSG Wattens". Successor side "FC Tirol Innsbruck" folded in 2002.

*"SV Austria Salzburg" was re-named "FC Red Bull Salzburg" after being purchased and re-made by energy drink maker Red Bull in June 2005. A new side using the original name "SV Austria Salzburg" was established by "SV" fans the same year and plays today in the lowest league of Salzburg.