Greek Football Cup

The Greek Football Cup (Greek: Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.

For basketball, see Greek Basketball Cup.

Greek Football Cup

Organising body	Hellenic Football Federation
Founded	1931
Region	Greece
Number of teams	84 (2019–20)
Qualifier for	UEFA Europa League
Current champions	PAOK (7th title)
Most successful club(s)	Olympiacos (27 titles)
Television broadcasters	Cosmote Sport
Website	www.epo.gr
2019–20 Greek Cup

Because it involves clubs of all standards playing against each other, there is the possibility for "minnows" from the lower divisions to become "giant-killers" by eliminating top clubs from the tournament and even theoretically win the Cup.

The current holders of the Greek Cup are PAOK, who beat AEK Athens 1–0 in the 2019 final held on 11 May 2019.

History

The AEK Athens team that won the first Greek Cup in 1932

The Greek Cup under EPO began in 1931. In its early years, entry was optional. Teams were paired against each other by the football associations, without a draw taking place. Later on, for many years, a proper draw took place and also two-legged matches were added.

In 1962, there was no cup winner because the final between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos was abandoned.[1]

Until 1964, if the final score was a draw (including extra time), the two teams played a replay match, while penalties didn't exist. That year, in the semi-final[2] between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos (1–1 at the time),fans of both teams stormed the pitch, damaged the football field and virtually stopped the game, believing that it was fixed to end in a draw, in order to be replayed for financial reasons. Both teams were ejected from the competition and therefore, in 1964 AEK won the title but the final match was not held. AEK also won in similar fashion in 1966 when Olympiacos did not show up in the final.[3]

In 1965, a new rule was applied, to determine that, if the game was undecided even after extra time, the winner would be determined by the toss of a coin. Panathinaikos won this way (captain Mimis Domazos guessed correctly) in the 1969 final[4] against Olympiacos. Afterwards the penalty shootout was applied.

Until 1971, teams from all over the country, professional and amateur, had been taking part. Each team first played against clubs from its own association and the winners continued in a nationwide competition. Due to this, strong professional sides met amateur neighbourhood teams, sometimes beating them with high scores; a 23–0 win in an Apollon Athens vs. PAO Neas Melandias match on 23 September 1959 remains a record win for the Greek Cup until today. Since 1971, only teams from professional divisions are allowed to participate, while amateur clubs take part in the Amateur Cup.

In 1991 and 1992 the finals were two-legged matches.

It is widely considered that the most exciting match in the history of the competition was the 2009 final[5] between Olympiacos and AEK (3–3 full time, 4–4 after extra time and 15–14 on penalties).

Cup Winners

11 clubs have won the Greek Cup.[6]

1931–32 AEK 1932–33 Ethnikos 1938–39 AEK 1939–40 Panathinaikos 1946–47 Olympiacos 1947–48 Panathinaikos 1948–49 AEK 1949–50 AEK 1950–51 Olympiacos 1951–52 Olympiacos 1952–53 Olympiacos 1953–54 Olympiacos 1954–55 Panathinaikos 1955–56 AEK 1956–57 Olympiacos 1957–58 Olympiacos 1958–59 Olympiacos 1959–60 Olympiacos 1960–61 Olympiacos 1962–63 Olympiacos

1963–64 AEK 1964–65 Olympiacos 1965–66 AEK 1966–67 Panathinaikos 1967–68 Olympiacos 1968–69 Panathinaikos 1969–70 Aris 1970–71 Olympiacos 1971–72 PAOK 1972–73 Olympiacos 1973–74 PAOK 1974–75 Olympiacos 1975–76 Iraklis 1976–77 Panathinaikos 1977–78 AEK 1978–79 Panionios 1979–80 Kastoria 1980–81 Olympiacos 1981–82 Panathinaikos 1982–83 AEK

1983–84 Panathinaikos 1984–85 AEL 1985–86 Panathinaikos 1986–87 OFI 1987–88 Panathinaikos 1988–89 Panathinaikos 1989–90 Olympiacos 1990–91 Panathinaikos 1991–92 Olympiacos 1992–93 Panathinaikos 1993–94 Panathinaikos 1994–95 Panathinaikos 1995–96 AEK 1996–97 AEK 1997–98 Panionios 1998–99 Olympiacos 1999–2000 AEK 2000–01 PAOK 2001–02 AEK 2002–03 PAOK

2003–04 Panathinaikos 2004–05 Olympiacos 2005–06 Olympiacos 2006–07 AEL 2007–08 Olympiacos 2008–09 Olympiacos 2009–10 Panathinaikos 2010–11 AEK 2011–12 Olympiacos 2012–13 Olympiacos 2013–14 Panathinaikos 2014–15 Olympiacos 2015–16 AEK 2016–17 PAOK 2017–18 PAOK 2018–19 PAOK 2019–20

Notes:
• In the periods 1933–38 and 1940–46, the competition was not held (in 1940–41 only the 1st round was carried out).
• In 1961–62, final match between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos was abandoned (no cup winner).
• In 1963–64 and 1965–66, final matches were not held.
• Statistical paradox : 77 editions of the competition, 76 concluded with a cup winner, 75 finals (74 concluded - 1 abandoned).

For all the Greek Cup finals, see List of Greek Cup finals.

Performance by club

19 clubs have reached the Greek Cup final.[7]

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Winning years	Runners-up years
Olympiacos	27	12	1947, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1981, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015	1956, 1966, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1986, 1988, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2016
Panathinaikos	18	10	1940, 1948, 1955, 1967, 1969, 1977, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2010, 2014	1949, 1960, 1965, 1968, 1972, 1975, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2007
AEK	15	10	1932, 1939, 1949, 1950, 1956, 1964, 1966, 1978, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2011, 2016	1948, 1953, 1979, 1994, 1995, 2006, 2009, 2017, 2018, 2019
PAOK	7	13	1972, 1974, 2001, 2003, 2017, 2018, 2019	1939, 1951, 1955, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1992, 2014
Panionios	2	4	1979, 1998	1952, 1961, 1967, 1989
AEL	2	2	1985, 2007	1982, 1984
Aris	1	8	1970	1932, 1933, 1940, 1950, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010
Iraklis	1	4	1976	1947, 1957, 1980, 1987
OFI	1	1	1987	1990
Ethnikos	1	0	1933
Kastoria	1	0	1980
Doxa Drama	0	3		1954, 1958, 1959
Atromitos	0	2		2011, 2012
Pierikos	0	1		1963
Athinaikos	0	1		1991
Apollon Smyrni	0	1		1996
Ionikos	0	1		2000
Asteras Tripoli	0	1		2013
Xanthi	0	1		2015

See also

• Greek Super League
• Greek Super Cup
• Greek League Cup

References

1. Τελικός 1962 διακοπή. sportdog.gr (in Greek).
2. Ημιτελικός 1964 διακοπή. sansimera.gr (in Greek).
3. Τελικός 1966 που δεν έγινε ποτέ. oldfootball.gr (in Greek).
4. Τελικός 1969. sport-retro.gr (in Greek).
5. Τελικός 2009. contra.gr (in Greek).
6. Η Χρυσή Βίβλος. sport24.gr (in Greek).
7. Ολοι οι Τελικοί. sdna.gr (in Greek).

External links

• Cup at UEFA
• RSSSF