Founded | 1938 |
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Region | Bulgaria |
Number of teams | 45 (2011/2012) |
Current champions | CSKA Sofia |
Most successful club | Levski Sofia (25) |
Television broadcasters | TV+ & Film+ |
2011–12 Season |
The Bulgarian Cup (Bulgarian: Купа на България) is a Bulgarian annual football competition. It is the country's main cup competition and all officially registered Bulgarian football teams take part in it. It is sponsored by the Bulgarian Corporate Commercial Bank.
The tournament's format is single-elimination, with all matches being one-legged. The Bulgarian Cup final is usually held at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia, like the last final from season 2010/2011 between CSKA Sofia and Slavia Sofia. Only once in the last five years the final was played in the province - the 2010 final between Beroe (Stara Zagora) and Chernomorets (Pomorie) (1:0). The competition's winner achieves the right to take part in the UEFA Europa League. If the winner has already secured a place through the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group, the team that has come fourth in the championship substitutes it.
The competition has been dominated by Sofia-based teams. The Sofia teams have won together a total number of 61 titles. The two most successful teams are Levski Sofia (25 championships) and CSKA Sofia (19 championships). The last winner of the Bulgarian Cup is CSKA Sofia. In the final in season 2010/2011 they defeated Slavia Sofia with result 1:0.
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The Bulgarian Cup has its roots in several cup tournaments held in Bulgaria through the 20th century, simultaneously or successively. The first one is the Tsar's Cup or "Cup of the King" that existed between 1938 and 1942, in which the champions of the country's oblasts played in a one-legged single-elimination tournament, the host being determined by lot.
During the Communist rule in Bulgaria, the National Cup was superseded by the two-legged Cup of the Soviet Army (Bulgarian: Купа на Съветската армия) tournament, which was held between 1945 and 1990. After 1981, it lost its importance due to the revival of the Bulgarian Cup tournament in honour of the 1300th anniversary of the country, but continued to exist until disbanded in 1990. Levski Sofia, as the club to have won the trophy most times, were awarded the original Soviet Army Cup to keep in their collection.
The Bulgarian Cup tournament is devided in two phases - the Qualification phase and the Final phase.
In this phase are participating teams from the four groups of the amateur division V AFG (3rd level of the Bulgarian football league system) and teams from Bulgarian A Regional Football Group (A RFG) (4th level of the Bulgarian football league system).
In this phase are participating the teams that have won their matches in the Qualification phase, with the 20 teams from the two groups of B PFG (10 teams from West B PFG and 10 teams from East B PFG) and 16 teams from A PFG. The team from a lower league division is the home team. In matches between teams from same division the home team is determined by lot.
From 1997 to 2011 the Bulgarian Cup is sponsored by the American car manufacturer Ford and its official distributor in Bulgaria Moto-Pfohe.
From season 2011/2012 the cup has new sponsor - the Bulgarian Corporate Commercial Bank.
Tsar's Cup (Cup of the King) is the first name of the present tournament Bulgarian Cup. The matches from the tournament were held in the period of 1938-1942.
Year | Winner | Runner Up | Result | Date | Venue |
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1938 | FK-13 Sofia | Levski Ruse | 3:0 | 3 October 1938 | Sofia |
1939 | Shipka Sofia | Levski Ruse | 2:0 | 3 October 1939 | Sofia |
1940 | FK-13 Sofia | Sportklub Plovdiv | 2:1 | 13 October 1940 | Sofia |
1941 | AS-23 Sofia | Napredak Ruse | 4:2 | 3 October 1941 | Dobrich |
1942 | Levski Sofia | Sportklub Plovdiv | 3:0 | 3 October 1942 | Sofia |
Bulgarian Cup (1983-present)
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