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History of the Dutch KNVB Cup

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The KNVB Cup competition is the oldest soccer competition in The Netherlands. Dutch soccer teams are participating in this knock-out competition since the 1898/1899 season and the cup competition is based on the English FA Cup.

The Soccer Association in The Netherlands decided to start the competition for the Dutch cup during a meeting in January 1898 and an entrepreneur, Hak Holdert, donated a cup, whichwas named after him.

Holdert Cup and KNVB Cup

From 1898 to 1945, the Dutch was named the Holdert Cup (Holdertbeker), with the exception of the period between 1921 and 1929, when the cup was bearing the name ‘NVB Cup’ named after the Dutch Soccer Federation (Nederlandse Voetbal Bond). After the Second World War, the cup was named the KNVB Cup (KNVB Beker, including the K, which stands for royal, since the federation had in the meantime the royal state). This name lasted until 1994, when the soccer federation sold the name to a sponsor. Since 2006, the cup that looks like a silver pinecone, the name ‘KNVB Cup’ is being used again.

Winners KNVB Cup

The first cup winner was RAP from the Dutch capital Amsterdam. Dutch giants Ajax hold the record for winning most cups in The Netherlands, until today 18 times. In second place, Rotterdam-based Feyenoord can be found with eleven national cups and PSV claims the third spot with nine cup victories. Quick and AZ (4x) and HFC, Sparta Rotterdam, FC Utrecht and FC Twente (3x) complete the top 5 winners of the Dutch KNVB Cup.

In addition to winning the silver trophy, the winner of the KNVB Cup also gets the right to play against the champions of the Dutch Eredivisie league for the Johan Cruijff Shield, the Super Cup in The Netherlands. Additionally, the winner will play in the UEFA Europa League during the following season.

KNVB Cup Competition

The competition for the KNVB Cup was not played every year since 1898 . In 1919 , 1922 to 1924 , 1931 and 1933, no cup battle took place , while during the Second World War and in 1947 no cup competition was organized by the Dutch soccer association.

From 1950 to 1956 , and in 1960 there was little interest from the clubs to the KNVB Cup, while the competition in 1929 and 1946 was aborted prematurely.

(Source: Eredivisievoetbal.com)

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