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The 1903 German football championship was the first tournament sanctioned by the German Football Association (DFB) to crown a national champion. At the time, the newly founded DFB only had about 150 member clubs in 30 mostly local associations. Every champion of these associations was eligible for play in the championship. Additionally, associations from outside Germany were allowed to take part, such as the Prague association that sent her champion to Germany.[1]
| Deutsche Fußballmeisterschaft | |
|---|---|
 Replica of the Viktoria trophy | |
| Tournament details | |
| Country | Germany |
| Dates | 3–31 May |
| Teams | 6 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | VfB Leipzig 1st German title |
| Runner-up | DFC Prag |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 4 |
| Goals scored | 31 (7.75 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Heinrich Riso Bruno Stanischewski (6 goals each) |
Although thirty teams would have been eligible, only six eventually entered the competition.
VfB Leipzig became the first club to be awarded the Viktoria, the trophy for the German champions from 1903 to 1944. The trophy later disappeared during the final stages of the Second World War, did not resurface until after the German reunification and was put on display at the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt until 2015, when it was moved to the new Deutsches Fußballmuseum in Dortmund.[2]
The qualified teams:
| Qualified team | Qualified from |
|---|---|
| DFC Prag | Prague representatives |
| Britannia Berlin | VBB champions |
| VfB Leipzig | Central German champions |
| Viktoria 96 Magdeburg | Magdeburg champions |
| FC Altona 93 | HAFB champions |
| Karlsruher FV | Southern German champions |
Quarter-finals
| 3 May 1903 Quarter-final | Altonaer FC von 1893 | 8–1 | SV Victoria 96 Magdeburg | Altona[3] |
Bradanovic  Ploetz Herder Walter ? |
Adam |
Stadium: Exerzierwiese[3] Attendance: 200[3] Referee: Carl Perls[3] |
| 10 May 1903 Quarter-final | Britannia Berlin | 1–3 | VfB Leipzig | Berlin[4] |
| Müller 88' |
Stanischewski 40', 47' Riso 63' |
Stadium: Sportpark Friedenau[4] Referee: Franz Behr[4] |
| 17 May 1903 Semi-final | DFC Prag | not played | Karlsruher FV | Munich[5] |
The German Football Association had scheduled the match to be played in Munich, but Prag lodged an official complaint as they would receive greater revenue if the match was played in Prague, while Karlsruhe protested against travelling Prague. Due to time constraints, the match was scratched and both teams entered the semifinals.[5]
Semi-finals
| 17 May 1903 Semi-final | DFC Prag | walkover | Karlsruher FV | Leipzig[6] |
| Attendance: 200[6] Referee: Carl Perls[6] |
The match had been scheduled to be held in Leipzig, but Karlsruhe received a telegram, supposedly sent by the German Football Association, informing them that the match had been postponed. The team never went to Leipzig, and was subsequently disqualified.[7]
| 17 May 1903 Semi-final | VfB Leipzig | 6–3 | Altonaer FC von 1893 | Leipzig[8] |
| Stanischewski Blüher Riso |
Walter Herder Bradanovic |
Stadium: VfB-Platz Probstheida[8] Referee: Georg Demmler[8] |
Final
| VfB Leipzig | 7–2 | DFC Prag |
|---|---|---|
|
Report | Meyer 22', 65' |
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