KNVB Cup

The KNVB Cup () is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup. The tournament consists of all teams from the top two leagues of Dutch football (the Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie), as well as the top four teams from each of the six third tier of Dutch football (Hoofdklasse), while the remaining teams are drawn from the fourth tier (Eerste Klasse). The finals of the tournament usually takes place in De Kuip, and has been held there every season since 1988. The winners of the cup compete against the winners of the Eredivisie for the Johan Cruijff Shield, which is the first game of the following season.

History
The competition was created during a board meeting of the Dutch National Football Association, in the Hague, on 19 January 1898. The tournament began the following season, 1898–1899. The first final was played on 9 May 1899 between RAP Amsterdam and HVV Den Haag. In 1946, the trophy was changed to one made out of silver, which was very rare in after World War II.

Name changes
Like many national cup competitions, the name of the tournament has changed with sponsorship. From 1995, the competition went from being the KNVB Cup Tournament to being known as the Amstel Cup after the then sponsor Amstel. On 16 August 2005, the name was changed to the Gatorade Cup after the drinks company Gatorade. In 2006, the name returned to being the KNVB Cup Tournament with Gatorade remaining as the principal sponsor.

European competition
Up until 1998, the winner of the cup entered into the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, but with the abandonment of that tournament, the winner now goes into the UEFA Europa League. If the winning team has won the Eredivisie and thus entry into the UEFA Champions League, then the beaten KNVB Cup finalist will take the place in the UEFA Europa League.

In 1998, both teams in the KNVB final, Ajax and PSV, had won places into the Champions League. So a game was played between the beaten semi-finalists, SC Heerenveen and FC Twente, to determine who would take the Cup Winners' Cup place.

Number of titles
Club# WinsWinning Years1Ajax181917, 1943, 1961, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1979, 1983, 1986,1987, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007, 20102PSV81950, 1974, 1976, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1996, 20053Quick Den HaagIncludes 2 for second team.41909, 1910, 1911, 19164AZ31978, 1981, 1982HFC31904, 1913, 1915Sparta Rotterdam31958, 1962, 1966FC Utrecht31985, 2003, 20045ADO Den Haag21968, 1975DFC21914, 1932Twente21977, 2001Fortuna'5421957, 1964Haarlem21902, 1912HBS Den HaagIncludes 1 for second team.21901, 1908RCH21918, 1928Roda JC21997, 2000VOC Rotterdam21905, 1907Wageningen21939, 1948Willem II21944, 19639Heerenveen12009Concordia11906CVV11920FC Eindhoven11937HVV Den Haag11903LONGA11926NAC Breda11973Quick 188811949RAP Amsterdam11899Roermond11936Schoten11921Velocitas Breda11900Velocitas Groningen11934VSV11938VUC Den Haag11927VVV11959Feyenoord1930ZFC11925

Notes

References

Other websites
KNVB.nl - Official website KNVB 
RSSSF History of the Dutch Cup

Netherlands