League Cup
Encyclopedia
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup
competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish League Cup
. However, in the Republic of Ireland the now defunct League of Ireland Shield
was the first national league-only tournament of its kind; this was subsequently replaced by the League of Ireland Cup in 1973.
The creation of a League Cup marked the difference from the Association Cup or Primary Cup, which is generally also open to teams from multiple leagues, often as far down as regional amateur leagues, and who are also members of the country's football association.
The creation of a tournament of this kind exclusively for the top national-level league teams, in addition to the two main domestic association football tournaments of the league and association cup, also created a new national footballing achievement called the domestic "treble"; see Treble (association football). The first national league treble of this kind was won by Shamrock Rovers of the Republic of Ireland in 1925.
League cups were generally introduced after the Second World War - for example, the Football League Cup
in England in 1960 - although in other countries they were created following a rise in the number of floodlit stadiums, allowing regular midweek matches.
In certain countries, the League Cup had, or in some cases still has, group stages in the early stages. These often opened the season before the main league season began.
Defunct
For Women
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
. However, in the Republic of Ireland the now defunct League of Ireland Shield
League of Ireland Shield
The League of Ireland Shield is a defunct Irish football tournament which was introduced when the League of Ireland started in 1921 and ran uninterrupted until 1972...
was the first national league-only tournament of its kind; this was subsequently replaced by the League of Ireland Cup in 1973.
The creation of a League Cup marked the difference from the Association Cup or Primary Cup, which is generally also open to teams from multiple leagues, often as far down as regional amateur leagues, and who are also members of the country's football association.
The creation of a tournament of this kind exclusively for the top national-level league teams, in addition to the two main domestic association football tournaments of the league and association cup, also created a new national footballing achievement called the domestic "treble"; see Treble (association football). The first national league treble of this kind was won by Shamrock Rovers of the Republic of Ireland in 1925.
League cups were generally introduced after the Second World War - for example, the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in England in 1960 - although in other countries they were created following a rise in the number of floodlit stadiums, allowing regular midweek matches.
In certain countries, the League Cup had, or in some cases still has, group stages in the early stages. These often opened the season before the main league season began.
List of League Cups and Secondary Cups
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
(EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) - Finnish League CupFinnish League CupThe Finnish League Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually during pre-season in winter by teams from Veikkausliiga.-Finnish League Cup finals:...
(FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
) - Coupe de la LigueCoupe de la LigueThe Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
(FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - Hong Kong League CupHong Kong League CupThe Hong Kong League Cup is an annual football competition contested by clubs in the Hong Kong First Division League. The cup was relaunched for the 2010-11 season after being discontinued in the 2009-10 season.-Format:...
(Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
) - LigakupaLigakupaThe Hungarian League Cup is an annual football tournament contested by clubs in the Hungarian League. It was created in 2007.-Finals:-Results by team:...
(HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
) - DeildabikarDeildabikarThe Deildabikar, also known as the Icelandic League Cup is a pre-season professional football competition in Iceland. It is also considered the third most important competition in Icelandic football....
(IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
) - Toto CupToto CupThe Toto Cup is an association football tournament that exists separately in the two highest divisions in Israel: the Premier League and Liga Leumit....
(IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
) - Federation CupFederation Cup (India)The Federation Cup is an annual knockout style club football tournament in India. It has started in 1977. From its inception till I-League has been started in 1997 , it was the most prestigious national level club football tournament in India...
(IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) - K-League CupK-League CupThe K-League Cup or Korean League Cup is a Korean professional football competition.The origin competition is the Professional Football Championship.This tournament played in 1986 can be seen as a forerunner of this competition....
(South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
) - J. League CupJ. League CupJ. League Cup is a Japanese football competition organized by J. League. It is also known as Yamazaki Nabisco Cup or Nabisco Cup because confectionery/bakery company Yamazaki Nabisco have sponsored the competition since its inception in 1992.It is generally regarded as the Japanese equivalent to...
(JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) - Irish Football League CupIrish Football League CupThe Irish League Cup, or the IRN-BRU League Cup, is the third-highest rated competition in domestic Northern Irish football competition after the IFA Premiership and Irish Cup. It has been sponsored by Irn Bru since the 2011–12 season. From 2001–02 to 2010–11 it was been sponsored by Co-operative...
(Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
) - Taça da Liga (PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
) - League of Ireland Cup (Republic of IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
) - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) - Singapore League CupSingapore League CupThe Singapore League Cup is an annual soccer competition in Singapore. It was launched in 2007, and is open to teams who play in the S.League.The 2007 competition was sponsored by SingTel, and officially titled the SingTel League Cup...
(SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
) - Telkom KnockoutTelkom KnockoutThe Telkom Knockout is a football knockout competition which comprises the 16 teams in the South African Premier Soccer League.It was started in 1992, called the Coca-Cola Cup and was played until 1996, when it was replaced by the Rothmans Cup which was changed back to the Coca-Cola Cup in 2001...
(South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
) - Trinidad and Tobago League Cup (Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
) - Welsh League CupWelsh League CupThe Welsh League Cup is a cup competition in Welsh football organised by the Welsh Premier League...
(WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
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Defunct
- Belgian League CupBelgian League CupThe Belgian League Cup was a Belgian football cup created in 1998. Due to disagreements over television rights combined with poor attendances and a lack of interest from the top clubs, the trophy only lasted for three years, and was cancelled already after the 2000-01 edition. The winners of the...
(BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) - Bulgarian CupBulgarian CupThe Bulgarian Cup 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....
then Cup of the Soviet Army (BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
) - Spar Cup, Danish League CupDanish League CupThe Danish League Cup, is a former football competition, arranged by Divisionsforeningen, for all the top level Danish football teams. The competition has existed in various formats, with the exact name of the league depending on the sponsor. For instance the Danish League Cup was named Carlsberg...
and Viasat CupViasat CupThe Viasat Cup was a 2006 Danish football tournament, starting at the end of the Danish Superliga 2005-06. The tournament was held due to Denmark's failure to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a tournament which had caused FIFA to demand that the Superliga ended May 14...
(DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
) - Olympia-Pokal (1964), Fuwo-Pokal (1972) and DFV-Toto-Sonderrunde (1974 & 1976) (East Germany)
- Full Members CupFull Members CupThe Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
, Super CupSuper Cup (English football)The Super Cup was a one-off football club competition held in England in the 1985–86 season...
and Centenary TrophyMercantile Credit Centenary TrophyThe Mercantile Credit Centenary Trophy was an English football tournament held in the early weeks of 1988-89 to celebrate the 100th birthday of The Football League....
(EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) - Coupe Charles DragoCoupe Charles DragoThe Coupe Charles Drago was an elimination cup competition organised by the Ligue de Football Professionnel, between clubs that are knocked out before the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France. The tournament was founded in 1953 and was discontinued after the 1965 tournament.-Finals:Key-Results by...
(FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - DFB-LigapokalDFB-LigapokalThe DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup, was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Fußball-Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany...
(GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) - Greek League CupGreek League CupThe Greek League Cup, a now defunct football competition, took place only once, in the 1989-90 season. AEK Athens, is the only winner of the League Cup, by beating Panionios , Aris , Levadiakos and Olympiacos .-Final:-External links:*...
(GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
) - Norwegian League Cup (NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
) - Ekstraklasa CupEkstraklasa CupThe Ekstraklasa Cup was an elimination tournament for Polish football clubs who play in the Polish 1st Division Ekstraklasa. The first ever Ekstraklasa Cup was held in 1952 in which Wawel Kraków came out victorious over Cracovia Kraków with the final score being 5-1. Two tournements were also held...
(PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) - Cupa LigiiCupa LigiiCupa Ligii was a Romanian football cup created in 1998 to shorten the break between the end of the league season and the start of a major international competition. Managed by the Romanian professional football league, it was only played in 1998 and 2000. Only teams from the Romanian top division...
(RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
) - Japan Soccer League CupJapan Soccer League CupThe Japan Soccer League Cup was the original league cup for clubs in the top levels of Japanese football before the creation of the J. League and its cup. The cup was first played in 1973, but did not become an annual tournament until 1976....
(JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) - Federation CupTaça Federação Portuguesa de FutebolThe "FPF" Cup was a competition organized by the Portuguese Football Federation. It was only played in the 1976–77 season. There was an exclusive edition for each of the three top Portuguese divisions, resulting in three champions from different divisions.- Format :...
(PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
) - Russian Premier League CupRussian Premier League CupThe Russian Premier League Cup was a football competition organized by Russian Premier League.This was a knockout competition for 16 teams of the Premier League. All ties, including the final, were two-legged. The winners of the Cup did not get any special bonuses , and the matches were played on...
(RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) - Saint Mungo CupSaint Mungo CupThe Saint Mungo Cup was a one-off football tournament held in Glasgow, Scotland, to celebrate the 1951 Festival of Britain. The competition was contested by 14 Scottish Division A clubs together with Clyde and Queens Park from Division B...
and Scottish Summer Cup (ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) - Copa de la LigaCopa de la LigaThe Copa de la Liga was a Spanish football tournament created in 1982.Due to time constraints, saturation and club pressure, the competition only lasted four years, being cancelled in 1986...
(SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) - Swiss League CupSwiss League CupThe Swiss League Cup was a football tournament which took place as a summer pre-season tournament in 1972 and 1973, and during the Swiss football season from 1974–75 to 1981–82...
(SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
) - Tunisia Coupe de la Ligue Professionel (TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
) - USSR Federation CupUSSR Federation CupThe Cup of Football Federation of USSR was the official name for a short-lived premier Soviet football competition similar to the USSR Cup that exclusively featured Soviet Top League competitors...
(USSR) - FAW Premier CupFAW Premier CupThe FAW Premier Cup is a defunct Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008...
(WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
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For Women
- Premier League CupPremier League CupThe Football Association Women's Premier League Cup is a cup competition in English Women's association football. It is also referred to as the Women's League Cup as it is the women's equivalent to the men's League Cup, although both competitions are organised by different governing bodies.The...
(EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) - Scottish Premier League Cup (ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
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