Azerbaijan Cup facts for kids
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| Founded | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Region |  Azerbaijan |
| Number of teams | 19 |
| Qualifier for | UEFA Europa Conference League |
| Current champions | Qarabağ (8th title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Qarabağ (8 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | CBC Sport |
The Azerbaijan Cup (called Azərbaycan Milli Futbol Kuboku in Azerbaijani) is a really important football competition in Azerbaijan. It's like a big tournament where football teams compete to win a special trophy.
This cup actually started a long time ago, in 1936. Back then, Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union. Even though it's a big event, sometimes not as many people come to watch the final games compared to other countries. Because of this, the main football group in Azerbaijan, the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan, tries new ways to make the cup more exciting and popular!
Contents
How the Cup Works
The Azerbaijan Cup has a clear plan for how teams play. It starts with clubs from the Azerbaijan First Division, which is like the second level of football in the country. These teams play in the first round.
The teams that win these early games then move on to the next round. Here, they are joined by the top teams from the Azerbaijan Premier League, which is the highest level of football in Azerbaijan.
When the tournament gets to the quarter-finals and semi-finals, teams play each other in a "round-robin" style. This means each team plays against every other team in their group. But for the big final game, it goes back to a "head-to-head" match, where only two teams play against each other to decide the winner.
Who Plays in the Cup?
All the football clubs from both the Azerbaijan Premier League and the Azerbaijan First Division get to take part in the Azerbaijan Cup. This means teams from all over Azerbaijan compete for the trophy!
A Look Back at the Winners
The Azerbaijan Cup has a long history, even before Azerbaijan became an independent country. Many different teams have won the cup over the years.
Here are some of the teams that have won the Azerbaijan Cup since 1992, when Azerbaijan became independent:
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | İnşaatçı Baku | 2 – 1 (aet) |
FK Kur | |
| 1993 | Qarabağ | 1 – 0 (aet) |
İnşaatçı Sabirabad | |
| 1993–94 | Kapaz | 2 – 0 | Khazar Lankaran | |
| 1994–95 | Neftçi | 1 – 0 | FK Kur | |
| 1995–96 | Neftçi | 3 – 0 | Qarabağ | |
| 1996–97 | Kapaz | 1 – 0 | Khazri Buzovna | |
| 1997–98 | Kapaz | 2 – 0 | Qarabağ | |
| 1998–99 | Neftçi | 0 – 0 (5 – 4 pen.) |
Shamkir | |
| 1999–00 | Kapaz | 2 – 1 | Qarabağ | |
| 2000–01 | Shafa | 2 – 1 | Neftçi | |
| 2001–02* | Neftçi | 3 – 0 Forfeit | Shamkir | |
| 2002–03 | No Cup Competition was held this year because of disagreements between clubs and the football federation. | |||
| 2003–04 | Neftçi | 1 – 0 (aet) |
Shamkir | |
| 2004–05 | FK Baku | 2 – 1 (aet) |
Inter Baku | |
| 2005–06 | Qarabağ | 2 – 1 | Karvan | |
| 2006–07 | Khazar Lankaran | 1 – 0 | MKT-Araz | |
| 2007–08 | Khazar Lankaran | 2 – 0 (aet) |
Inter Baku | |
| 2008–09 | Qarabağ | 1 – 0 | Inter Baku | |
| 2009–10 | FK Baku | 2 – 1 (aet) |
Khazar Lankaran | |
| 2010–11 | Khazar Lankaran | 1 – 1 (4 – 2 pen.) |
Inter Baku | |
| 2011–12 | FC Baku | 2 – 0 | Neftçi | |
| 2012–13 | Neftçi | 0 – 0 (5 – 3 pen.) |
Khazar Lankaran | |
| 2013–14 | Neftçi | 1 – 1 (3 – 2 pen.) |
Gabala | |
| 2014–15 | Qarabağ | 3 – 1 | Neftçi | |
| 2015–16 | Qarabağ | 1 – 0 (aet) |
Neftçi | |
| 2016–17 | Qarabağ | 2 – 0 | Gabala | |
| 2017–18 | Keşla | 1 – 0 | Gabala | |
| 2018–19 | Gabala | 1 – 0 | Sumgayit | |
| 2019–20 | This Cup Competition was stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. | |||
| 2020–21 | Keşla | 2 – 1 | Sumgayit | |
| 2021–22 | Qarabağ | 1 – 1 (4 – 3 pen.) |
Zira | |
| 2022–23 | Gabala | 1 – 0 (aet) |
Neftçi | |
Note
- The Azerbaijan Cup in 2001–02 had some problems between clubs and the football federation. So, the clubs created their own cup. Neftçi won this alternative cup, but its result is not officially recognized.
Top Teams in the Cup
Some teams have been very successful in the Azerbaijan Cup, winning it many times.
Winners by Club
| Club | Wins | Runner-up | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qarabağ |
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1993, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2021–22, 2023–24 |
| Neftçi |
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1994–95, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2012–13, 2013–14 |
| Kapaz |
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1993–94, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1999–2000 |
| Khazar Lankaran |
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2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11 |
| FC Baku |
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2004–05, 2009–10, 2011–12 |
| Keşla |
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2017–18, 2020–21 |
| Gabala |
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2018–19, 2022–23 |
| İnşaatçı Baku |
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1992 |
| Shafa |
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2000–01 |
| Shamkir |
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– |
| FK Kur |
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– |
| Sumgayit |
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– |
| Zira |
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– |
| İnşaatçı Sabirabad |
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– |
| Khazri Buzovna |
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– |
| Karvan |
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– |
| MKT-Araz |
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– |
Notes:
Clubs in italic are no longer active.
Keşla's record includes four times as runner-up when it was known as FC Inter Baku.
Images for kids
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Logo of the Azerbaijan Cup
See also
In Spanish: Copa de Azerbaiyán para niños
