The KNVB Beker (English: KNVB Cup, pronounced [ˌkaːʔɛnveːˈbeː ˈbeːkər]) is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup. The tournament consists of all teams from the top three tiers of Dutch league football (Eredivisie, Eerste Divisie and Topklasse), as well as the 24 semi-finalists (or replacements) of regional amateur cup tournaments. The finals of the tournament traditionally takes place in De Kuip, and has been held there every season since 1988. The winners of the cup compete against the winners of the Eredivisie for the Johan Cruijff Shield, which acts as the curtain raiser for the following season.
History
The competition was conceived during a board meeting of the Dutch National Football Association, in the Hague, on 19 January 1898. The tournament began the following season, 1898–1899. The first final was played on 9 May 1899 between RAP Amsterdam and HVV Den Haag. In 1946, the trophy was changed to one made out of silver, which was extremely rare in the immediate aftermath of World War II.
Name changes
Like many national cup competitions, the name of the tournament has changed with sponsorship. From 1995, the competition went from being the KNVB Cup Tournament to being known as the Amstel Cup after the then sponsor Amstel. On 16 August 2005, the name was changed to the Gatorade Cup after the drinks company Gatorade. In 2006, the name returned to being the KNVB Cup Tournament with Gatorade remaining as the principal sponsor.
European competition
Up until 1998, the winner of the cup entered into the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, but with the abandonment of that tournament, the winner now goes into the UEFA Europa League. If the winning team has won the Eredivisie and thus entry into the UEFA Champions League, then the berth will be based on performance in that season's Eredivisie.
In 1998, both teams in the KNVB final, Ajax and PSV, had won places into the Champions League. So a game was played between the beaten semi-finalists, SC Heerenveen and FC Twente, to determine who would take the Cup Winners' Cup place.
Past finals
| Season | Winner | Scorers | Result | Runner-up | Scorers | Venue | Att. | 
| 1898–99 | RAP Amsterdam |  | 1–0 aet | HVV Den Haag |  |  |  | 
| 1899–1900 | Velocitas Breda |  | 3–1 | Ajax Leiden |  |  |  | 
| 1900–01 | HBS Craeyenhout |  | 4–3 | RAP Amsterdam |  |  |  | 
| 1901–02 | Haarlem |  | 2–1 | HBS Craeyenhout |  |  |  | 
| 1902–03 | HVV Den Haag |  | 6–1 | HBS Craeyenhout |  |  |  | 
| 1903–04 | HFC |  | 3–1 | HVV Den Haag |  |  |  | 
| 1904–05 | VOC Rotterdam |  | 3–0 | HBS Craeyenhout 2 |  |  |  | 
| 1905–06 | Concordia |  | 3–2 | Volharding |  |  |  | 
| 1906–07 | VOC Rotterdam |  | 4–3 | Voorwaarts |  |  |  | 
| 1907–08 | HBS Craeyenhout 2 |  | 3–1 | VOC Rotterdam |  |  |  | 
| 1908–09 | Quick Den Haag 2 |  | 2–0 | VOC Rotterdam |  |  |  | 
| 1909–10 | Quick Den Haag 2 |  | 2–0 | HVV Den Haag 2 |  |  |  | 
| 1910–11 | Quick Den Haag |  | 1–0 | HFC Haarlem |  |  |  | 
| 1911–12 | Haarlem |  | 2–0 | Vitesse |  |  |  | 
| 1912–13 | HFC |  | 4–1 | DFC |  |  |  | 
| 1913–14 | DFC |  | 3–2 | Haarlem |  |  |  | 
| 1914–15 | HFC |  | 1–0 | HBS Craeyenhout |  |  |  | 
| 1915–16 | Quick Den Haag |  | 2–1 | HBS Craeyenhout |  |  |  | 
| 1916–17 | Ajax |  | 5–0 | VSV (Velsen) |  |  |  | 
| 1917–18 | RCH |  | 2–1 | VVA |  |  |  | 
| 1918–19 | Not played | 
| 1919–20 | CVV |  | 2–1 | VUC Den Haag |  |  |  | 
| 1920–21 | Schoten |  | 2–1 | RFC |  |  |  | 
| 1921–24 | Not played | 
| 1924–25 | ZFC |  | 5–1 | Xerxes |  |  |  | 
| 1925–26 | LONGA |  | 5–2 | De Spartaan |  |  |  | 
| 1926–27 | VUC Den Haag |  | 3–1 | Vitesse |  |  |  | 
| 1927–28 | RCH |  | 2–0 | PEC |  |  |  | 
| 1928–29 | Not played | 
| 1929–30 | Feijenoord |  | 1–0 | Excelsior |  |  |  | 
| 1930–31 | Not played | 
| 1931–32 | DFC |  | 5–4 | PSV |  |  |  | 
| 1932–33 | Not played | 
| 1933–34 | Velocitas Groningen |  | 3–2 | Feijenoord |  |  |  | 
| 1934–35 | Feijenoord |  | 5–2 | Helmond |  |  |  | 
| 1935–36 | Roermond |  | 4–2 | KFC |  |  |  | 
| 1936–37 | FC Eindhoven |  | 1–0 | De Spartaan |  |  |  | 
| 1937–38 | VSV |  | 4–1 | AGOVV |  |  |  | 
| 1938–39 | FC Wageningen |  | 2–1 | PSV |  |  |  | 
| 1939–42 | Not played | 
| 1942–43 | Ajax |  | 3–2 | DFC |  | Olympic Stadium |  | 
| 1943–44 | Willem II |  | 9–2 | Groene Ster |  | Jan Louwers |  | 
| 1944–47 | Not played | 
| 1947–48 | Wageningen |  | 0–0 2–1 pen
 | DWV Amsterdam |  | Olympic Stadium |  | 
| 1948–49 | Quick 1888 |  | 1–1 2–1 pen
 | Helmondia |  | Jan Louwers |  | 
| 1949–50 | PSV |  | 4–3 | HFC Haarlem |  | De Kuip |  | 
| 1950–56 | Not played | 
| 1956–57 | Fortuna'54 | Appel  14'  80'  81' Angenent
  78' | 4–2 | Feijenoord | Schouten  1' Aad Bak
  42' | De Kuip | 35,000 | 
| 1957–58 | Sparta | Bosselaar  8' Karregat
  20' (o.g.) Geel
  38' Verhoeven
  69' | 4–3 | FC Volendam | Smit  18' Tol
  41' Smit
  70' | Olympic Stadium | 18,000 | 
| 1958–59 | VVV | Teeuwen  23' Sleven
  32' Klaassens
  56' Schatorjé
  70' | 4–1 | ADO Den Haag | Timmer  7' | Zuiderpark | 25,000 | 
| 1959–60 | Not played | 
| 1960–61 | Ajax | Groot  78'  82'  88' | 3–0 | NAC Breda | – | De Meer | 16,000 | 
| 1961–62 | Sparta | Van Miert  105' | 1–0 aet | DHC Delft | – | Het Kasteel | 12,000 | 
| 1962–63 | Willem II | Louer  35' Aarts
  46' Senders
  81' | 3–0 | ADO Den Haag | – | Zuiderpark |  | 
| 1963–64 | Fortuna'54 | – | 0–0 4–3 pen
 | ADO Den Haag | – | Philips Stadion | 10,000 | 
| 1964–65 | Feijenoord | Bouwmeester  88' | 1–0 | Go Ahead | – | De Kuip | 31,000 | 
| 1965–66 | Sparta | Madsen  60' | 1–0 | ADO Den Haag | – | De Kuip |  | 
| 1966–67 | Ajax | Cruyff  64' Nuninga
  99' | 2–1 | NAC Breda | Vesters  88' | De Meer | 21,000 | 
| 1967–68 | ADO Den Haag | Schoenmaker  23' Aarts
  28' | 2–1 | Ajax | Keizer  48' | Zuiderpark | 17,500 | 
| 1968–69 | Feijenoord | Wery  27' | 1–1 aet | PSV | Radović  71' | De Kuip | 55,000 | 
| Van Hanegem  47' Wery
  84' | Replay 2–0
 | – | De Kuip | 60,000 | 
| 1969–70 | Ajax | Keizer  22' Cruijff
  69' | 2–0 | PSV | – | De Vliert | 30,000 | 
| 1970–71 | Ajax | Cruijff  62'  81' | 2–2 aet | Sparta | Kowalik  39' Visser
  74' | De Kuip | 63,154 | 
| Mühren  4' Johan Neeskens
  52' | Replay 2–1
 | Walbeek  47' | De Kuip | 60,068 | 
| 1971–72 | Ajax | Cruyff  34' Mühren
  61' (pen.) Keizer
  72' | 3–2 | FC Den Haag | van Eeden  68' Mansveld
  85' (pen.) | De Kuip | 60,000 | 
| 1972–73 | NAC Breda | Bish  10' Brouwers
  75' | 2–0 | NEC | – | De Kuip | 45,801 | 
| 1973–74 | PSV | Deijkers  10' R. van de Kerkhof
  40' Edström
  53' van der Kuijlen
  51'  58'  90' | 6–0 | NAC Breda | – | De Kuip |  | 
| 1974–75 | FC Den Haag | Van Leeuwen  67' | 1–0 | FC Twente | – | De Kuip |  | 
| 1975–76 | PSV | Edström  98' | 1–0 aet | Roda JC | – | De Kuip |  | 
| 1976–77 | Twente | Drost  96' Mühren
  105' Jeuring
  110' | 3–0 aet | PEC Zwolle | – | De Goffert | 26,000 | 
| 1977–78 | AZ | Van Rijnsoever  56' | 1–0 | Ajax | – | Olympic Stadium | 38,248 | 
| 1978–79 | Ajax | Clarke  42' (pen.) | 1–1 aet | Twente | Meutstege  14' (o.g.) | De Kuip | 29,553 | 
| Clarke  27' Tahamata
  47' Schoenaker
  66' | Replay 3–0
 | – | 29,274 | 
| 1979–80 | Feyenoord | Petursson  39' (pen.) De Leeuw
  71' Petursson
  75' | 3–1 | Ajax | Arnesen  19' | De Kuip | 50,340 | 
| 1980–81 | AZ | Tol  24' Spelbos
  59' Nygaard
  74' | 3–1 | Ajax | Vanenburg  53' | Olympic Stadium | 32,591 | 
| 1981–82 | AZ | – | 0–1 | FC Utrecht | Wouters  5' | Galgenwaard |  | 
| Oberacher  18' Kist
  47'  57' (pen.)  76' Tol
  77' | 5–1 | Carbo  27' | Alkmaarderhout |  | 
| 1982–83 | Ajax | Lerby  47' Schoenaker
  66' Ophof
  86' | 3–1 | NEC | Mulderij  56' | De Meer | 7,700 | 
| Vanenburg  46'  52' Cruijff
  69' | 3–1 | Grim  60' | De Goffert | 24,000 | 
| 1983–84 | Feyenoord | Houtman  72' | 1–0 | Fortuna Sittard | – | De Kuip |  | 
| 1984–85 | FC Utrecht | Van Loen  90' | 1–0 | Helmond Sport | – | Galgenwaard |  | 
| 1985–86 | Ajax | Bosman  46'  80' Silooy
  67' | 3–0 | RBC | – | De Meer | 23,000 | 
| 1986–87 | Ajax | Bosman  11'  83' van Basten
  104'  106' | 4–2 aet | FC Den Haag | Boere  43' Morley
  66' | Zuiderpark |  | 
| 1987–88 | PSV | Gerets  52'  85' Lerby
  90+2' | 3–2 | Roda JC | H. Smeets  22' R. Smeets
  64' | Willem II Stadion | 8,500 | 
| 1988–89 | PSV | Romário  2' Ellerman
  45'  53' Kieft
  79' | 4–1 | Groningen | Meijer  78' | De Kuip | 9,483 | 
| 1989–90 | PSV | Valckx  30' (pen.) | 1–0 | Vitesse | – | De Kuip | 34,000 | 
| 1990–91 | Feyenoord | Witschge  8' | 1–0 | BVV Den Bosch | – | De Kuip | 52,000 | 
| 1991–92 | Feyenoord | de Wolf  28' Taument
  43' Kiprich
  53' | 3–0 | Roda JC | – | De Kuip | 48,000 | 
| 1992–93 | Ajax | Davids  7' Overmars
  45'  89' Pettersson
  71' Bergkamp
  82' Petersen
  87' | 6–2 | Heerenveen | Regtop  35' Camataru
  90' | De Kuip | 45,000 | 
| 1993–94 | Feyenoord | Heus  7' (pen.) van Loen
  80' | 2–1 | N.E.C. | Dekker  90' | De Kuip | 43,000 | 
| 1994–95 | Feyenoord | Taument  7' Obiku
  82' | 2–1 | Volendam | Wasiman  47' | De Kuip | 48,146 | 
| 1995–96 | PSV | Cocu  7' Vink
  14' Veldman
  65' (o.g.) Jonk
  87' van der Doelen
  90' | 5–2 | Sparta Rotterdam | van der Meer  45' D. de Nooijer
  79' (pen.) | De Kuip | 35,000 | 
| 1996–97 | Roda JC | Sibon  4' Senden
  16' van der Luer
  48' Schops
  56' | 4–2 | Heerenveen | Korneev  12' Talan
  83' | De Kuip | 48,000 | 
| 1997–98 | Ajax | Babangida  25' Litmanen
  38'  61'  84' Arveladze
  79' | 5–0 | PSV | – | De Kuip | 22,500 | 
| 1998–99 | Ajax | Grønkjær  12'  15' | 2–0 | Fortuna Sittard | – | De Kuip | 25,000 | 
| 1999–2000 | Roda JC | Peeters  19' van der Luer
  89' | 2–0 | NEC | – | De Kuip | 40,000 | 
| 2000–01 | Twente | – | 0–0 aet 4–3 pen
 | PSV | – | De Kuip | 45,000 | 
| 2001–02 | Ajax | Mido  21' Wamberto
  90' Ibrahimović
  93' | 3–2 aet | FC Utrecht | Gluščević  56' (pen.)  76' | De Kuip | 37,000 | 
| 2002–03 | FC Utrecht | de Jong  39' Gluščević
  49'  57' Kuyt
  81' | 4–1 | Feyenoord | Kalou  73' | De Kuip | 45,000 | 
| 2003–04 | FC Utrecht | van den Bergh  66' | 1–0 | Twente | – | De Kuip | 48,000 | 
| 2004–05 | PSV | Bouma  45' Cocu
  51' Park
  74' Vennegoor of Hesselink
  90' | 4–0 | Willem II | – | De Kuip | 35,000 | 
| 2005–06 | Ajax | Huntelaar  48'  89' | 2–1 | PSV | Lamey  53' | De Kuip | 30,770 | 
| 2006–07 | Ajax | Huntelaar  51' | 1–1 aet 8–7 pen
 | AZ | Dembélé  4' | De Kuip | 42,200 | 
| 2007–08 | Feyenoord | Landzaat  8' de Guzmán
  36' | 2–0 | Roda JC | – | De Kuip | 51,177 | 
| 2008–09 | Heerenveen | Popov  27' Kalou
  112' | 2–2 aet 5–4 pen
 | Twente | Elia  54' Hersi
  118' | De Kuip | 45,000 | 
| 2009–10 | Ajax | de Jong  6'  7' | 2–0 | Feyenoord | – | Amsterdam Arena | 37,283 | 
| Suárez  4'  82' de Jong
  64'  77' | 4–1 | Tomasson  72' | De Kuip | 35,000 | 
| 2010–11 | Twente | Brama  45' Janssen
  56' Janko
  117' | 3–2 aet | Ajax | De Zeeuw  18' Ebecilio
  40' | De Kuip | 45,000 | 
| 2011–12 | PSV | Toivonen  21' Mertens
  56' Lens
  63' | 3–0 | Heracles Almelo | – | De Kuip | 50,000 | 
| 2012–13 | AZ | Maher  12' Altidore
  14' | 2–1 | PSV | Locadia  31' | De Kuip | 50,000 | 
| 2013–14 | PEC Zwolle | Thomas  8'  12' Fernandez
  22'  34' van Polen
  50' | 5–1 | Ajax | van Rhijn  3' | De Kuip | 42,500 | 
| 2014–15 | FC Groningen | Rusnák  64'  75' | 2–0 | PEC Zwolle | – | De Kuip | 50,000 | 
| 2015–16 | Feyenoord | Kramer  42' Elia
  75' | 2–1 | FC Utrecht | Leeuwin  51' | De Kuip | 45,592 | 
Number of titles

The Trophy
| Club | Titles | Runners-up | Winning years | 
|---|
| Ajax | 18 | 6 | 1917, 1943, 1961, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1979, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2010 | 
| Feyenoord | 12 | 4 | 1930, 1935, 1965, 1969, 1980, 1984, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2008, 2016 | 
| PSV | 9 | 8 | 1950, 1974, 1976, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1996, 2005, 2012 | 
| AZ | 4 | 1 | 1978, 1981, 1982, 2013 | 
| Quick Den Haag | 4 | – | 1909, 1910, 1911, 1916 [n 1] | 
| FC Twente | 3 | 4 | 1977, 2001, 2011 | 
| FC Utrecht | 3 | 3 | 1985, 2003, 2004 | 
 
| Sparta Rotterdam | 3 | 2 | 1958, 1962, 1966 | 
| HFC | 3 | – | 1904, 1913, 1915 | 
| HBS Craeyenhout | 2 | 5 | 1901, 1908 [n 2] | 
| ADO Den Haag | 2 | 4 | 1968, 1975 | 
| Roda JC | 2 | 4 | 1997, 2000 | 
| Haarlem | 2 | 3 | 1902, 1912 | 
| VOC Rotterdam | 2 | 2 | 1905, 1907 | 
 
| DFC | 2 | 2 | 1914, 1932 | 
| Fortuna'54 | 2 | 2 | 1957, 1964 | 
| Willem II | 2 | 1 | 1944, 1963 | 
| RCH | 2 | – | 1918, 1928 | 
| Wageningen | 2 | – | 1939, 1948 | 
| HVV Den Haag | 1 | 3 | 1903 | 
| NAC Breda | 1 | 3 | 1973 | 
| PEC Zwolle | 1 | 3 | 2014 | 
| Heerenveen | 1 | 2 | 2009 | 
| RAP Amsterdam | 1 | 1 | 1899 | 
| VUC Den Haag | 1 | 1 | 1927 | 
 
| VSV | 1 | 1 | 1938 | 
| FC Groningen | 1 | 1 | 2015 | 
 
| Velocitas Breda | 1 | – | 1900 | 
| Concordia | 1 | – | 1906 | 
| CVV | 1 | – | 1920 | 
| Schoten | 1 | – | 1921 | 
| ZFC | 1 | – | 1925 | 
 
| LONGA | 1 | – | 1926 | 
| Velocitas Groningen | 1 | – | 1934 | 
 
| Roermond | 1 | – | 1936 | 
| FC Eindhoven | 1 | – | 1937 | 
 
| Quick 1888 | 1 | – | 1949 | 
| VVV | 1 | – | 1959 | 
Notes
- ↑  Includes 2 for second team.
- ↑  Includes 1 for second team.
Media coverage
In the Netherlands, the KNVB Cup is broadcast by RTL on RTL 7 and on the Dutch pay-TV channel Fox Sports Eredivisie. In Spain it is currently available on beIN Sports (Spain). In Australia and New Zealand, the KNVB Cup is currently available on beIN Sports. In Italy, the KNVB Cup is currently available on Sportitalia. In Brazil the KNVB Cup is currently available on BandSports.
References
 External links