DFB-Ligapokal
Encyclopedia
The 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
. The cup has been known as the Premiere-Ligapokal since 2005, when Premiere
, a German pay television network, took up sponsorship of the competition. The Ligapokal was not held in 2008 due to schedule crowding caused by the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship
. Instead, the T-Home German Supercup was held on July 23, 2008. The DFB-Ligapokal was not held on 2009 either, due to the German Football Association's decision to abolish it. For the last edition of the DFB-Ligapokal, in 2007, the fifth-placed Bundesliga team (Bayer Leverkusen
) was dropped from the competition, replaced by the winner of the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
(Karlsruhe
).
, the German Cup
winners, and the winner of the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
. If a team was doubly qualified by also winning the German Cup, the number five team in the Bundesliga took the spare place.
The tournament was a knock-out competition played over three rounds with two matches in the first two rounds, and a single final in the last round. The current Bundesliga champion and the German Cup winner entered the tournament in the second round. If the Bundesliga champion was also the cup winner, the Bundesliga runner-up skipped the first round. The four remaining teams played one match to determine who qualified for the next round. The four teams in the second round then played one match to determine which teams qualified for the final. The first round matches and the final took place in neutral venues, in the semi-finals the Bundesliga champion and the Cup winner played at home. The matches lasted 90 minutes, with a penalty shootout
immediately following if the match was tied.
. A competition featuring four other big clubs who had not qualified for the Supercup, the Fuji-Cup
, also existed from 1986.
In 1997 this was extended to a cup competition consisting of six teams, the top five placed teams from the Bundesliga plus the German Cup winners, with the cup winners and champions entering in the semifinals. If the cup winner was the same as any of the top five finishers in the league, the 6th place team was entitled to participate and the format was adjusted accordingly.
Starting with the 2007 cup, the participating teams were the top four teams from the Bundesliga, the German Cup winners, as well as the winners of the 2nd Bundesliga.
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , 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...
. The cup has been known as the Premiere-Ligapokal since 2005, when Premiere
Premiere (pay television network)
Sky Deutschland AG, branded as Sky, is a German media company which operates the first pay television platform in Germany and Austria, offering several channels of digital content via satellite and cable....
, a German pay television network, took up sponsorship of the competition. The Ligapokal was not held in 2008 due to schedule crowding caused by the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
. Instead, the T-Home German Supercup was held on July 23, 2008. The DFB-Ligapokal was not held on 2009 either, due to the German Football Association's decision to abolish it. For the last edition of the DFB-Ligapokal, in 2007, the fifth-placed Bundesliga team (Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
) was dropped from the competition, replaced by the winner of the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
(Karlsruhe
Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
).
Format
The Ligapokal was played between six teams, the top four teams of the BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
, the German Cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
winners, and the winner of the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
. If a team was doubly qualified by also winning the German Cup, the number five team in the Bundesliga took the spare place.
The tournament was a knock-out competition played over three rounds with two matches in the first two rounds, and a single final in the last round. The current Bundesliga champion and the German Cup winner entered the tournament in the second round. If the Bundesliga champion was also the cup winner, the Bundesliga runner-up skipped the first round. The four remaining teams played one match to determine who qualified for the next round. The four teams in the second round then played one match to determine which teams qualified for the final. The first round matches and the final took place in neutral venues, in the semi-finals the Bundesliga champion and the Cup winner played at home. The matches lasted 90 minutes, with a penalty shootout
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
immediately following if the match was tied.
History
The Ligapokal was played as a unique event in 1972 because the Olympics in Munich had caused a postponement of the regular season kick-off. Until 1996 there was a single match between the German champions (Deutscher Meister) and German Cup winners (Pokalsieger), which was called German Supercup and is akin to the English FA Community ShieldFA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
. A competition featuring four other big clubs who had not qualified for the Supercup, the Fuji-Cup
Fuji-Cup
The Fuji-Cup was a German football competition held during the summer break from 1986 to 1996 immediately prior to the kick-off the Fußball-Bundesliga season. The competition featured four leading teams, playing two semi-finals and a final in a generally more provincial area of the country...
, also existed from 1986.
In 1997 this was extended to a cup competition consisting of six teams, the top five placed teams from the Bundesliga plus the German Cup winners, with the cup winners and champions entering in the semifinals. If the cup winner was the same as any of the top five finishers in the league, the 6th place team was entitled to participate and the format was adjusted accordingly.
Starting with the 2007 cup, the participating teams were the top four teams from the Bundesliga, the German Cup winners, as well as the winners of the 2nd Bundesliga.
Past winners
| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–73 | Hamburger SV Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department... |
2–0 | Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth... |
Volksparkstadion, Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
| 1997 1997 DFB-Ligapokal The 1997 DFB-Ligapokal was the inaugural DFB Liga-Pokal, a pre-season competition in Germany. The Ligapokal was an extended Supercup, including the reigning League champions, Cup winners, plus the next four highest placed teams in the previous season's Bundesliga... |
FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
2–0 | VfB Stuttgart VfB Stuttgart Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons... |
BayArena BayArena The BayArena is a football stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, which has been the home ground of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen since 1958.-History:... , Leverkusen Leverkusen Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf.... |
| 1998 1998 DFB-Ligapokal The 1998 DFB-Ligapokal was the second edition of the DFB Liga-Pokal. In a repeat of last year's competition, Bayern Munich beat VfB Stuttgart in the final.-Preliminary round:-----Semi-finals:----- Final :... |
FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
4–0 | VfB Stuttgart VfB Stuttgart Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons... |
BayArena BayArena The BayArena is a football stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, which has been the home ground of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen since 1958.-History:... , Leverkusen Leverkusen Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf.... |
| 1999 1999 DFB-Ligapokal The 1999 DFB-Ligapokal was the third edition of the DFB Liga-Pokal, and, for the third consecutive year, was won by Bayern Munich. Bayern, the previous year's League champions, beat Werder Bremen in the final, a reverse of the previous year's cup final.... |
FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
2–1 | SV Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize... |
BayArena BayArena The BayArena is a football stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, which has been the home ground of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen since 1958.-History:... , Leverkusen Leverkusen Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf.... |
| 2000 2000 DFB-Ligapokal The 2000 DFB-Ligapokal was the fourth edition of the DFB Liga-Pokal. Bayern Munich won the competition for the fourth consecutive year, beating Hertha BSC 5–1 in the final.-Preliminary round:-----Semi-finals:----- Final :... |
FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
5–1 | Hertha BSC Berlin Hertha BSC Berlin Hertha Berliner Sport-Club von 1892, commonly known as Hertha BSC or Hertha Berlin, is a German association football club based in Berlin. A founding member of the German Football Association in Leipzig in 1900, the club has a long history as Berlin's best-supported side... |
BayArena BayArena The BayArena is a football stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, which has been the home ground of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen since 1958.-History:... , Leverkusen Leverkusen Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf.... |
| 2001 2001 DFB-Ligapokal The 2001 DFB-Ligapokal was the fifth edition of the DFB Liga-Pokal. Hertha BSC won the competition for the fourth consecutive year, beating Schalke 04 4–1 in the final. Hertha had ended Bayern Munich's dominance of the competition by beating them in the semi-finals.-Preliminary... |
Hertha BSC Berlin Hertha BSC Berlin Hertha Berliner Sport-Club von 1892, commonly known as Hertha BSC or Hertha Berlin, is a German association football club based in Berlin. A founding member of the German Football Association in Leipzig in 1900, the club has a long history as Berlin's best-supported side... |
4–1 | FC Schalke 04 FC Schalke 04 Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major... |
Carl-Benz-Stadion Carl-Benz-Stadion Carl-Benz-Stadion is a multi-purpose stadium in Mannheim, Germany. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of SV Waldhof Mannheim. In 2008, it also hosted TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for the first half of that club's first season in the Fußball-Bundesliga, until... , Mannheim Mannheim Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart.... |
| 2002 2002 DFB-Ligapokal The 2001 DFB-Ligapokal was the sixth edition of the DFB-Ligapokal. Hertha BSC won the competition for the fourth consecutive year, beating Schalke 04 4–1 in the final, an exact repeat of last year's competition, although Huub Stevens, the Hertha coach, had been in charge at Schalke the year... |
Hertha BSC Berlin Hertha BSC Berlin Hertha Berliner Sport-Club von 1892, commonly known as Hertha BSC or Hertha Berlin, is a German association football club based in Berlin. A founding member of the German Football Association in Leipzig in 1900, the club has a long history as Berlin's best-supported side... |
4–1 | FC Schalke 04 FC Schalke 04 Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major... |
Ruhrstadion Ruhrstadion Ruhrstadion is a football stadium in Bochum, Germany. It is the home ground for the VfL Bochum and has a capacity of 29.448.-History:... , Bochum Bochum Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:... |
| 2003 2003 DFB-Ligapokal The 2003 DFB-Ligapokal was the seventh edition of the DFB-Ligapokal. It was won by Hamburger SV, who beat Borussia Dortmund 4–2 in the final, securing their first title.-Preliminary round:-----Semi-finals:----- Final :... |
Hamburger SV Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department... |
4–2 | Borussia Dortmund Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football... |
Stadion am Bruchweg Stadion am Bruchweg Stadion am Bruchweg is a multi-purpose stadium in Mainz, Germany. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is able to hold 20,300 people and was built in 1929. It is the home stadium of Bundesliga club Mainz 05. It is due to be replaced by Coface Arena in 2011.... , Mainz Mainz Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire... |
| 2004 2004 DFB-Ligapokal The 2004 DFB-Ligapokal was the eighth edition of the DFB Liga-Pokal. Bayern Munich won their fifth title, beating Werder Bremen 3–2 in the final.-Preliminary round:-----Semi-finals:----- Final :... |
FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
3–2 | SV Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize... |
Stadion am Bruchweg Stadion am Bruchweg Stadion am Bruchweg is a multi-purpose stadium in Mainz, Germany. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is able to hold 20,300 people and was built in 1929. It is the home stadium of Bundesliga club Mainz 05. It is due to be replaced by Coface Arena in 2011.... , Mainz Mainz Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire... |
| 2005 | FC Schalke 04 FC Schalke 04 Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major... |
1–0 | VfB Stuttgart VfB Stuttgart Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons... |
Zentralstadion, Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing... |
| 2006 | SV Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize... |
2–0 | FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
Zentralstadion, Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing... |
| 2007 | FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
1–0 | FC Schalke 04 FC Schalke 04 Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major... |
Zentralstadion, Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing... |
Winners by team
| Pos | Team | Wins | Last win | Runners-up | Last runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
6 | 2007 | 1 | 2006 |
| 2 | Hertha BSC | 2 | 2002 | 1 | 2000 |
| 3 | Hamburg Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department... |
2 | 2003 | 0 | N/A |
| 4 | Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize... |
1 | 2006 | 2 | 2004 |
| 5 | Schalke 04 FC Schalke 04 Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major... |
1 | 2005 | 3 | 2007 |
Media coverage
- All five matches of the 2007 Ligapokal were broadcast live on German free-TV channel Sat.1Sat.1Sat.1 is a privately owned German television broadcasting station. Sat.1 was the first privately owned television broadcasting station in Germany, having started one day before RTL Television....
. - In Australia, the German League Cup was broadcast by Setanta SportsSetanta Sports AustraliaSetanta Sports Australia is a sports television channel operating in Australia and is available to homes and businesses across all of Australia...
.
See also
- DFB-PokalDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
- DFB-SupercupDFB-SupercupThe DFL-Supercup is a match between the winner of the Bundesliga championship and the DFB-Pokal. In 1997, this was superseded by a league cup called DFB-Ligapokal. In 2008, although not officially sanctioned by the DFB, the match returned as the T-Home Supercup featuring Bundesliga champions FC...
- Fuji-CupFuji-CupThe Fuji-Cup was a German football competition held during the summer break from 1986 to 1996 immediately prior to the kick-off the Fußball-Bundesliga season. The competition featured four leading teams, playing two semi-finals and a final in a generally more provincial area of the country...
- Fußball-BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
- LIGA total! CupLIGA total! CupThe LIGA total!-Cup is a German football competition held since 2009. The competition features four teams of the Bundesliga, playing two semi-finals and a final. A match takes 60 minutes. The event took place in Gelsenkirchen in 2009 and 2010...