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.
 | |
| Founded | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Region | Slovenia |
| Qualifier for | UEFA Europa League |
| Current champions | Rogaška (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Maribor (9 titles) |
| Website | nzs |
 2024–25 Slovenian Football Cup | |
As of 2024, a total of 18 clubs have reached the cup final, with 12 of them winning the title; the most successful side in the history of the competition is Maribor, who have triumphed 9 times in their 15 cup final appearances. They are followed by Olimpija (1945), Koper, and Olimpija (2005), who won four titles each. 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, Nafta 1903 and Gorica are the only sides from outside the top flight which managed to reach the cup final, having finished as runners-up in 2002, 2020 and 2024, respectively.
Rogaška are the current champions, having beaten Gorica 6–5 on penalties (1–1 after extra time) in the 2024 final for their first title.
Format
editUntil 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 the aggregate score was taken into account.
From the 2022–23 season onwards, the number of teams in the first round has increased from 24 to 120, and any registered team in the country can participate in the preliminary rounds.[1] Four teams that represent Slovenia in UEFA competitions joins the competition in the second round. Only one match is played in all rounds, with extra time and penalty shoot-out if necessary. The draw is no longer delegated with seeded and unseeded teams. Up to and including the round of 32, if two clubs from different leagues are drawn as opponents, the lower league team automatically plays at home, unless it decides not to.[2]
Since 2005, the final is held as a single-legged match, although it was a two-legged affair in the period between 1994 and 2004.[3]
List of finals
editKey
| 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
editTeams shown in italics are no longer in existence.
| Club | Winners | Last final won | Runners-up | Last final lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maribor | 9 | 2016 | 6 | 2023 |
| Olimpija[a] | 4 | 2003 | 3 | 2001 |
| Koper | 4 | 2022 | 1 | 2009 |
| Olimpija Ljubljana[a] | 4 | 2023 | 1 | 2017 |
| Gorica | 3 | 2014 | 2 | 2024 |
| 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 | — |
| Rogaška | 1 | 2024 | 0 | — |
| Primorje | 0 | — | 3 | 1998 |
| Aluminij | 0 | — | 2 | 2018 |
| Korotan Prevalje | 0 | — | 1 | 2000 |
| Dravograd | 0 | — | 1 | 2004 |
| Nafta 1903 | 0 | — | 1 | 2020 |
| Bravo | 0 | — | 1 | 2022 |
Notes
edit- ^ a b The original Olimpija went bankrupt and folded in 2005. In the same year, NK Bežigrad was founded. In 2008, the club renamed as Olimpija Ljubljana. 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
edit- ^ "Sklepi za tekmovanja v organizaciji NZS v članski kategoriji" (PDF). nzs.si (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. 12 June 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ^ "Zadeva: Spremembe in dopolnitve Sklepov za tekmovanja v organizaciji NZS v članskih kategorijah" (PDF). nzs.si (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. 29 May 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- ^ "Video: Finale pokala Slovenije od leta 1999 do 2005". nzs.si (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. 20 May 2014. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
Potem ko je bil v prejšnji sezoni finale odločen že po prvi tekmi, je NZS spremenila način tekmovanja in v finalu se je ponovno igrala ena tekma za naslov pokalnega prvaka.
External links
edit- Slovenian Cup at NZS (in Slovene)
- Slovenian Cup at Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation