# 1980–81 KNVB Cup

The 1980-81 KNVB Cup 63rd edition of the Dutch national football annual knockout tournament for the KNVB Cup. 46 teams contested, beginning on 6 September 1980 and ending at the final on 28 May 1981.
AZ from Alkmaar (at the time called AZ'67) beat Ajax 3–1 and won the cup for the second time.
During the quarter and semi-finals, two-legged matches were held.

## Teams

* All 18 participants of the Eredivisie 1980-81
* All 19 participants of the Eerste Divisie 1980-81
* 9 teams from lower (amateur) leagues

## First round

The matches of the first round were played on 6-7 September 1980.
| Home team | Result | Away team |
| Fortuna Sittard $_1$ | 2–0 (aet) | SC Cambuur $_1$ |
| HFC Haarlem $_1$ | 3–0 | Vitesse Arnhem $_1$ |
| sc Heerenveen $_1$ | 3–2 | ACV $_A$ |
| ROHDA Raalte $_A$ | (p) 1-1 | FC Eindhoven $_1$ |
| SC Veendam $_1$ | 2–0 | Helmond Sport $_1$ |
| SVV $_1$ | 5–1 | DESK $_A$ |
| FC Volendam $_1$ | 3–1 | VV Noordwijk $_A$ |
| Home team | Result | Away team |
| VV Caesar $_A$ | 2–5 (aet) | SC Amersfoort $_1$ |
| De Graafschap $_1$ | 2–3 | Telstar $_1$ |
| DETO $_A$ | 2–5 | DS '79 $_1$ |
| FC Amsterdam $_1$ | 8–1 | VV Arnemuiden $_A$ |
| FC Den Bosch $_1$ | 3–0 | VV Rheden $_A$ |
| FC Vlaardingen $_1$ | 4–2 | XerxesDZB $_A$ |
| FC VVV $_1$ | 3–2 (aet) | SC Heracles $_1$ |
$_1$ Eerste Divisie; $_A$ Amateur teams

## Second round

The matches of the second round were played on November 15 and 16, 1980. The Eredivisie clubs entered the tournament here.
| Home team | Result | Away team |
| Go Ahead Eagles $_E$ | 9–3 | ROHDA Raalte |
| HFC Haarlem | (p) 2-2 | NAC $_E$ |
| MVV $_E$ | 3–0 | FC Amsterdam |
| NEC $_E$ | 0–1 | FC Groningen $_E$ |
| SC Amersfoort | 2–2 (p) | FC VVV |
| Sparta $_E$ | 2–2 (p) | PEC Zwolle $_E$ |
| Telstar | 2–2 (p) | Willem II $_E$ |
| FC Wageningen $_E$ | 4–1 | FC Den Haag $_E$ |
| Home team | Result | Away team |
| Ajax $_E$ | 3–0 | SVV |
| AZ'67 $_E$ | 4–1 | sc Heerenveen |
| DS '79 | 0–1 | PSV $_E$ |
| Excelsior $_E$ | 2–2 (p) | FC Vlaardingen |
| FC Den Bosch | 2–4 | FC Utrecht $_E$ |
| FC Twente $_E$ | 1–0 | FC Volendam |
| Feyenoord $_E$ | 5–1 | SC Veendam |
| Fortuna Sittard | 1–2 | Roda JC $_E$ |
$_E$ Eredivisie

## Round of 16

The matches of the round of 16 were played on January 24 and 25, 1981.
| Home team | Result | Away team |
| Ajax | 5–1 | FC Twente |
| AZ'67 | 5–2 | FC Vlaardingen |
| FC Groningen | 3–2 | FC VVV |
| Feyenoord | 3–3 (p) | HFC Haarlem |
| Go Ahead Eagles | 3–1 | MVV |
| PSV | 4–0 | Roda JC |
| Willem II | 2–1 | FC Utrecht |
| FC Wageningen | 0–3 | PEC Zwolle (on Feb. 4) |

## Quarter finals

The quarter finals were played on February 25 and April 1, 1980.
| Team 1 | Aggregate | Team 2 | Match 1 | Match 2 |
| Ajax | 4–1 | FC Groningen | 3–0 | 1–1 |
| Go Ahead Eagles | 3–2 (aet) | PEC Zwolle | 1–1 | 2–1 (aet) |
| HFC Haarlem | 2–4 | AZ'67 | 1–1 | 1–3 |
| Willem II | 0–3 | PSV | 0–1 | 0–2 |

## Semi-finals

The semi-finals were played on April 14 and May 12, 1980.
| Team 1 | Aggregate | Team 2 | Match 1 | Match 2 |
| Go Ahead Eagles | 3–8 | AZ'67 | 2–2 | 1–6 |
| PSV | 3–4 | Ajax | 2–2 | 1–2 |

## Final

AZ also won the Dutch Eredivisie championship, thereby taking the double. They would participate in the European Cup, so finalists Ajax could play in the Cup Winners' Cup.