Slovenian Football Cup
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Founded | 1991 |
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Region | Slovenia |
Number of teams | 12 (2021–22) |
Qualifier for | UEFA Europa Conference League |
Current champions | Olimpija Ljubljana (3rd title) |
Most successful club(s) | Maribor (9 titles) |
Website | nzs.si |
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The Slovenian Football Cup (Slovene: Pokal Nogometne zveze Slovenije, pronounced [pɔˈkáːl nɔɡɔˈméːtnɛ ˈzʋéːzɛ slɔˈʋèːnijɛ]) is the top knockout tournament of Slovenian football and the second most important football competition in Slovenia after the Slovenian PrvaLiga championship. The cup was established in 1991 following the breakup of Yugoslavia. Since 2020, it has been known as Pokal Pivovarna Union after its headline sponsor, the Union Brewery.
As of 2021, a total of 16 clubs have reached the cup final; the most successful side in the history of the competition is Maribor, who have triumphed 9 times in their 14 cup final appearances. They are followed by Olimpija, who won four titles before folding in 2005. Primorje hold the record for most appearances in the final without winning the title, finishing as runners-up in three consecutive finals between 1996 and 1998. Aluminij and Nafta 1903 are the only sides from outside the top flight which managed to reach the cup final, having finished as runners-up in 2002 and 2020, respectively.
Olimpija Ljubljana is the current cup holder, having beaten Celje 2–1 in the 2021 final.[1]
Format[]
Until 2021, the Slovenian Cup was contested by a total of 28 clubs: 18 lower league sides that qualified via regional cups organised by the Intercommunal Football Associations, and 10 teams that competed in the Slovenian PrvaLiga the previous season. In the first round proper, 18 lower league clubs were joined by the six lower placed top flight clubs. The twelve winners were then joined by the best four top flight clubs who automatically entered the second round proper. The games were played in a single leg knock-out format until the quarter-finals and semi-finals when home and away matches were played and aggregate scores were taken into account. Since 2005 the final is also held as a single-legged match, although it was a two-legged affair in the period between 1994 and 2004.
From the 2022–23 season, the number of teams in the first round will increase significantly to 120. Four teams that will represent Slovenia in UEFA competitions will join in the second round. In all rounds, only one match will be played, and the seeding system will be abolished; lower league teams will also not automatically play their matches at home.[2]
List of finals[]
Key
Match ended after extra time | |
Match decided by a penalty shoot-out after the extra time | |
Match decided on aggregate score in a two-legged tie | |
Italic | Team from outside the top flight |
List of winners[]
Teams shown in italics are no longer in existence.
Club | Winners | Last final won | Runners-up | Last final lost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Maribor | 9 | 2016 | 5 | 2019 |
Olimpija[a] | 4 | 2003 | 3 | 2001 |
Gorica | 3 | 2014 | 1 | 2005 |
Koper | 3 | 2015 | 1 | 2009 |
Olimpija Ljubljana[a] | 3 | 2021 | 1 | 2017 |
Domžale | 2 | 2017 | 1 | 2010 |
Interblock | 2 | 2009 | 0 | — |
Celje | 1 | 2005 | 9 | 2021 |
NK Mura[b] | 1 | 1995 | 1 | 1994 |
Rudar Velenje | 1 | 1998 | 0 | — |
NŠ Mura[b] | 1 | 2020 | 0 | — |
Primorje | 0 | — | 3 | 1998 |
Aluminij | 0 | — | 2 | 2018 |
Korotan Prevalje | 0 | — | 1 | 2000 |
Dravograd | 0 | — | 1 | 2004 |
Nafta 1903 | 0 | — | 1 | 2020 |
Notes[]
- ^ a b The original Olimpija went bankrupt and folded in 2005. In the same year, NK Bežigrad was founded. The club was later renamed to Olimpija Ljubljana in 2008. Legally, the original and the new club are two separate entities.
- ^ a b The original Mura went bankrupt and folded in 2005. Legally, the original and the new club are two separate entities.
References[]
- ^ "Tolažba za konec sezone - zmaji osvojili pokal" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ "Zadeva: Sprememba tekmovalnega sistema v Pokalu Slovenije s tekmovalnim letom 2022/2023" (PDF). nzs.si (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
External links[]
- Slovenian Cup at NZS (in Slovene)
- Slovenian Cup at Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
- Slovenian Football Cup
- Football cup competitions in Slovenia
- National association football cups
- 1991 establishments in Slovenia