Bulgarian Cup

Bulgarian Cup

Founded	1938
Region	Bulgaria
Number of teams	45 (2011/2012)
Current champions	CSKA Sofia
Most successful club	Levski Sofia (25)
Television broadcasters	TV+
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.

History

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During the Communist rule in Bulgaria, the National Cup was superseded by the two-legged Cup of the Soviet Army (Bulgarian: Купа на Съветската армия) tournament, which was held between 1945 and 1990.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.

Competition format

The Bulgarian Cup tournament is devided in two phases - the Qualification phase and the Final phase.

Qualification 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).

Final phase

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.

• Round 1 (Round of 32) - 32 teams participate (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).

• Round 2 (Round of 32) - 32 teams participate (16 teams from Round 1 and 16 teams from A PFG).

• Round 3 (Round of 16) - 16 teams participate (16 teams from Round 2).

• Quarter-finals - 8 teams participate (8 teams from Round 3).

• Semi-finals.

• Final.

Sponsorship

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.

Winners

Tsar's Cup (1938-1942)

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
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

Cup of the Soviet Army (1946-1982)

Year Winner Runner Up Result Date Venue Attendance 1946 Levski Sofia Stamo Kostov Popovo (II) 4:1 6 May 1946 Sofia 15,000 1947 Levski Sofia Botev Plovdiv 1:0 1 May 1947 Sofia 17,000 1948 Lokomotiv Sofia Slavia-Chengelov Plovdiv 1:0 9 May 1948 Sofia 12,000 1949 Levski Sofia CSKA Sofia 1:1 ET 2:2 2:1 ET 8 May 1949 16 May 1949 17 May 1949 Sofia 35,000 35,000 35,000 1950 Levski Sofia CSKA Sofia 1:1 ET 1:1 1:0 ET 16 November 1950 17 November 1950 3 December 1950 Sofia 30,000 30,000 30,000 1951 CSKA Sofia Akademik Sofia 1:0 ET 7 November 1951 Sofia 25,000 1952 Slavia Sofia Spartak Sofia 3:1 9 November 1952 Sofia 22,000 1953 Lokomotiv Sofia Levski Sofia 2:1 25 November 1953 Sofia 30,000 1954 CSKA Sofia Slavia Sofia 2:1 7 November 1954 Sofia 30,000 1955 CSKA Sofia Spartak Plovdiv 5:2 ET 11 December 1955 Sofia 32,000 1956 Levski Sofia Botev Plovdiv 5:2 18 November 1956 Sofia 40,000 1957 Levski Sofia Spartak Pleven 2:1 7 November 1957 Sofia 28,000 1958 Spartak Plovdiv Minyor Pernik 1:0 7 November 1958 Sofia 20,000 1959 Levski Sofia Spartak Plovdiv 1:0 2 May 1959 Sofia 30,000 1960 Septemvri Sofia Lokomotiv Plovdiv (II) 4:3 ET 15 June 1960 Sofia 15,000 1961 CSKA Sofia Spartak Varna 3:0 28 June 1961 Sofia 25,000 1962 Botev Plovdiv Dunav 3:0 12 August 1962 Sofia 20,000 1963 Slavia Sofia Botev Plovdiv 2:0 10 September 1963 Sofia 22,000 1964 Slavia Sofia Botev Plovdiv 3:2 9 September 1964 Sofia 31,000 1965 CSKA Sofia Levski Sofia 3:2 8 September 1965 Sofia 30,000 1966 Slavia Sofia CSKA Sofia 1:0 10 September 1966 Sofia 25,000 1967 Levski Sofia Spartak Sofia 3:0 16 July 1967 Sofia 38,000 1968 Spartak Sofia Beroe Stara Zagora 3:2 6 Juny 1968 Sofia 18,000 1969 CSKA Sofia Levski Sofia 2:1 30 April 1969 Sofia 40,000 1970 Levski Sofia CSKA Sofia 2:1 25 August 1970 Sofia 46,000 1971 Levski Sofia Lokomotiv Plovdiv 3:0 25 August 1971 Sofia 30,000 1972 CSKA Sofia Slavia Sofia 3:0 25 August 1972 Sofia 25,000 1973 CSKA Sofia Beroe Stara Zagora 2:1 3 July 1973 Sofia 18,000 1974 CSKA Sofia Levski Sofia 2:1 ET 10 August 1974 Sofia 40,000 1975 Slavia Sofia Lokomotiv Sofia 3:2 10 June 1975 Sofia 15,000 1976 Levski Sofia CSKA Sofia 4:3 ET 2 June 1976 Sofia 65,000 1977 Levski Sofia Lokomotiv Sofia 2:1 12 June 1977 Sofia 45,000 1978 Marek Stanke Dimitrov CSKA Sofia 1:0 24 May 1978 Sofia 40,000 1979 Levski Sofia Beroe Stara Zagora 4:1 23 May 1979 Sofia 40,000 1980 Slavia Sofia Beroe Stara Zagora 3:1 13 May 1980 Sofia 30,000 1981 Botev Plovdiv Pirin Blagoevgrad 1:0 5 May 1981 Sofia 20,000 1982 Lokomotiv Sofia Lokomotiv Plovdiv (II) 2:1 ET 12 June 1982 Pleven 8,000 Bulgarian Cup (1983-present) Year Winner Runner Up Result Date Venue Attendance 1983 CSKA Sofia Spartak Varna 4:0 3 April 1983 Plovdiv 15,000 1984 Levski Sofia Botev Plovdiv 1:0 2 May 1984 Kardzhali 30,000 1985 CSKA Sofia Levski Sofia 2:1 2 May 1985 Sofia 30,000 1986 Levski Sofia CSKA Sofia 1:0 27 April 1986 Sofia 28,000 1987 CSKA Sofia Levski Sofia 2:1 17 April 1987 Sofia 30,000 1988 CSKA Sofia Levski Sofia 4:1 11 May 1988 Sofia 50,000 1989 CSKA Sofia Chernomorets Burgas 3:0 24 May 1989 Pleven 15,000 1990 Sliven CSKA Sofia 2:0 30 May 1990 Sofia 15,000 1991 Levski Sofia Botev Plovdiv 2:1 29 May 1991 Veliko Tarnovo 10,000 1992 Levski Sofia Pirin Blagoevgrad 5:0 27 May 1992 Pazardzhik 10,000 1993 CSKA Sofia Botev Plovdiv 1:0 2 June 1993 Blagoevgrad 18,000 1994 Levski Sofia Pirin Blagoevgrad 1:0 4 May 1994 Sofia 16,000 1995 Lokomotiv Sofia Botev Plovdiv 4:2 27 May 1995 Sofia 20,000 1996 Slavia Sofia Levski Sofia 4:0 1 May 1996 Sofia 22,000 1997 CSKA Sofia Levski Sofia 3:1 27 May 1997 Sofia 18,500 1998 Levski Sofia CSKA Sofia 5:0 13 May 1998 Sofia 50,000 1999 CSKA Sofia Litex Lovech 1:0 25 May 1999 Sofia 20,000 2000 Levski Sofia Neftohimik Burgas 2:0 31 May 2000 Plovdiv 18,000 2001 Litex Lovech Velbazhd Kyustendil 1:0 ET 24 May 2001 Sofia 8,000 2002 Levski Sofia CSKA Sofia 3:1 15 May 2002 Sofia 15,000 2003 Levski Sofia Litex Lovech 2:1 21 May 2003 Sofia 10,453 2004 Litex Lovech CSKA Sofia 2:2 (4-3 pen.) 12 May 2004 Sofia 11,461 2005 Levski Sofia CSKA Sofia 2:1 25 May 2005 Sofia 10,848 2006 CSKA Sofia Cherno More Varna 3:1 24 May 2006 Sofia 7,216 2007 Levski Sofia Litex Lovech 1:0 ET 24 May 2007 Stara Zagora 8,500 2008 Litex Lovech Cherno More Varna 1:0 14 May 2008 Sofia 2,040 2009 Litex Lovech Pirin Blagoevgrad 3:0 26 May 2009 Sofia 6,200 2010 Beroe Stara Zagora Chernomorets Pomorie (II) 1:0 5 May 2010 Lovech 5,000 2011 CSKA Sofia Slavia Sofia 1:0 25 May 2011 Sofia 17,000 Non-official winners Cup of the Soviet Army (1983-1990) Year Winner Runner Up Result Date Venue Attendance 1983 Lokomotiv Plovdiv (II) FK Chirpan (II) 3:1 1 June 1983 Sofia 25,000 1984 Levski Sofia Dorostol Silistra (II) 4:0 9 May 1984 Sofia 25,000 1985 CSKA Sofia Cherno More Varna 4:0 9 May 1985 Sofia 15,000 1986 CSKA Sofia Lokomotiv Sofia 2:0 21 May 1986 Sofia 12,000 1987 Levski Sofia Spartak Pleven 3:2 9 May 1987 Sofia 15,000 1988 Levski Sofia Cherno More Varna (II) 2:0 1 June 1988 Sofia 20,000 1989 CSKA Sofia Maritsa-Iztok Radnevo (III) 6:1 7 June 1989 Sofia 6,000 1990 CSKA Sofia Botev Plovdiv 2:0 1 June 1990 Sofia 25,000 Bulgarian Cup (1981-1982) Year Winner Runner Up Result Date Venue Attendance 1981 CSKA Sofia Slavia Sofia 1:0 6 June 1981 Sofia 25,000 1982 Levski Sofia CSKA Sofia 4:0 16 June 1982 Sofia 30,000 Performance by club Club Winners Runners-up Winning Years Levski Sofia 25 9 1942, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 CSKA Sofia 19 12 1951, 1954, 1955, 1961, 1965, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2006, 2011 Slavia Sofia 7 3 1952, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1975, 1980, 1996 Litex 4 3 2001, 2004, 2008, 2009 Lokomotiv Sofia 4 2 1948, 1953, 1982, 1995 Botev Plovdiv 2 8 1962, 1981 FK-13 Sofia 2 - 1938, 1940 Beroe Stara Zagora 1 4 2010 Spartak Plovdiv 1 2 1958 Spartak Sofia 1 2 1968 Sliven 1 - 1990 Marek Stanke Dimitrov 1 - 1978 Septemvri Sofia 1 - 1960 AS-23 Sofia 1 - 1941 Shipka Sofia 1 - 1939 Lokomotiv Plovdiv - 6 - Pirin Blagoevgrad - 4 - Dunav - 4 - Cherno More Varna - 2 - Spartak Varna - 2 - Chernomorets Pomorie - 1 - Velbazhd Kyustendil - 1 - Neftochimic Burgas - 1 - Chernomorets Burgas - 1 - Minyor Pernik - 1 - Spartak Pleven - 1 - Akademik Sofia - 1 - Chernolomets Popovo - 1 - Titles by city City Titles Winning Clubs Sofia 61 Levski Sofia (25), CSKA Sofia (19), Slavia (7), Lokomotiv Sofia (4), FK-13 (2), Spartak Sofia (1), Shipka Sofia (1), AS-23 (1), Septemvri Sofia (1) Lovech 4 Litex Lovech (4) Plovdiv 3 Botev (2), Spartak Plovdiv (1) Dupnitsa 1 Marek Dupnitsa (1) Sliven 1 OFC Sliven 2000 (1) Stara Zagora 1 Beroe (1) External links Bulgarian Cup news from Topsport (Bulgarian)