View source for Slovenian Football Cup

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{infobox football tournament
| current = [[2024–25 Slovenian Football Cup]]
| image = Slovenian Football Cup.png
| imagesize = 280px
| founded = {{Start date and age|1991}}
| number of teams =
| region = Slovenia
| qualifier for     = [[UEFA Europa League]]
| current champions = [[NK Celje|Celje]] (2nd title)
| most successful club = [[NK Maribor|Maribor]] (9&nbsp;titles)
| website = {{URL |1= https://www.nzs.si/tekmovanja/?id_menu=1081 |2=nzs.si}}
}}

The '''Slovenian Football Cup''' ({{langx|sl|Pokal Nogometne zveze Slovenije}}, {{IPA|sl|pɔˈkáːl nɔɡɔˈméːtnɛ ˈzʋéːzɛ slɔˈʋèːnijɛ|pron}}) is the top knockout tournament of [[Slovenia]]n [[Association football|football]] and the second most important football competition in Slovenia after the [[Slovenian PrvaLiga]] championship. The cup was established in 1991 following the [[breakup of Yugoslavia]]. Since 2020, it has been known as Pokal Pivovarna Union after its headline sponsor, the [[Union Brewery (Slovenia)|Union Brewery]].

As of 2025, a total of 18 clubs have reached the cup final, with 12 of them winning the title; the most successful side in the history of the competition is [[NK Maribor|Maribor]], who have triumphed 9 times in their 15 cup final appearances. They are followed by [[NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1945–2005)|Olimpija (1945)]], [[FC Koper|Koper]], and [[NK Olimpija Ljubljana|Olimpija (2005)]], who won four titles each. [[NK Primorje|Primorje]] hold the record for most appearances in the final without winning the title, finishing as runners-up in three consecutive finals between 1996 and 1998. [[NK Aluminij|Aluminij]], [[NK Nafta 1903|Nafta 1903]] and [[ND Gorica|Gorica]] are the only sides from outside the top flight which managed to reach the cup final, having finished as runners-up in 2002, 2020 and 2024, respectively.

[[NK Celje|Celje]] are the current champions, having beaten Koper 4–0 in the 2025 final for their second title.

==Format==
Until 2021, the Slovenian Cup was contested by a total of 28 clubs: 18 lower league sides that qualified via regional cups organised by the Intercommunal Football Associations, and 10 teams that competed in the [[Slovenian PrvaLiga]] the previous season. In the first round proper, 18 lower league clubs were joined by the six lower placed top flight clubs. The twelve winners were then joined by the best four top flight clubs who automatically entered the second round proper. The games were played in a single leg knock-out format until the quarter-finals and semi-finals, when home and away matches were played and the aggregate score was taken into account.

From the 2022–23 season onwards, the number of teams in the first round has increased from 24 to 120, and any registered team in the country can participate in the preliminary rounds.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sklepi za tekmovanja v organizaciji NZS v članski kategoriji |website=nzs.si |url=https://www.nzs.si/Doc/Info/2022/Sklepi%20za%20tekmovanja%20v%20organizaciji%20NZS%20v%20%C4%8Dlanski%20kategoriji_V3.6_%C4%8Distopis%20V12062022%20(1).pdf |publisher=[[Football Association of Slovenia]] |access-date=16 June 2022 |language=sl |date=12 June 2022 |archive-date=16 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616112931/https://www.nzs.si/Doc/Info/2022/Sklepi%20za%20tekmovanja%20v%20organizaciji%20NZS%20v%20%C4%8Dlanski%20kategoriji_V3.6_%C4%8Distopis%20V12062022%20(1).pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Four teams that represent Slovenia in [[UEFA competitions]] joins the competition in the second round. Only one match is played in all rounds, with [[Overtime (sports)#Association football|extra time]] and [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|penalty shoot-out]] if necessary. The draw is no longer delegated with seeded and unseeded teams. Up to and including the round of 32, if two clubs from different leagues are drawn as opponents, the lower league team automatically plays at home, unless it decides not to.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zadeva: Spremembe in dopolnitve Sklepov za tekmovanja v organizaciji NZS v članskih kategorijah |url=https://www.nzs.si/Doc/Info/2023/15-23_Spremembe%20in%20dopolnitve%20Sklepov%20za%20tekmovanja%20v%20organizaciji%20NZS%20v%20%C4%8Dlanski%20kategoriji.pdf |website=nzs.si |publisher=[[Football Association of Slovenia]] |access-date=30 May 2023 |language=sl |date=29 May 2023 |archive-date=30 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530112608/https://www.nzs.si/Doc/Info/2023/15-23_Spremembe%20in%20dopolnitve%20Sklepov%20za%20tekmovanja%20v%20organizaciji%20NZS%20v%20%C4%8Dlanski%20kategoriji.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since 2005, the final is held as a single-legged match, although it was a two-legged affair in the period between 1994 and 2004.<ref>{{cite web |title=Video: Finale pokala Slovenije od leta 1999 do 2005 |url=https://www.nzs.si/novica/Video:_Finale_pokala_Slovenije_od_leta_1999_do_2005?id=32375&id_objekta= |website=nzs.si |publisher=[[Football Association of Slovenia]] |access-date=30 May 2023 |language=sl |date=20 May 2014 |quote=Potem ko je bil v prejšnji sezoni finale odločen že po prvi tekmi, je NZS spremenila način tekmovanja in v finalu se je ponovno igrala ena tekma za naslov pokalnega prvaka. |archive-date=30 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530112605/https://www.nzs.si/novica/Video:_Finale_pokala_Slovenije_od_leta_1999_do_2005?id=32375&id_objekta= |url-status=live }}</ref>

==List of finals==

'''Key'''
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
|-
|style="background-color:#FBCEB1"|
|Match won after [[Overtime (sports)#Association football|extra time]]
|-
|style="background-color:#cedff2"|
|Match decided by a [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|penalty shoot-out]] after extra time
|-
|style="background-color:#cef2e0"|
|Match decided on aggregate score in a [[two-legged tie]]
|-
|''Italic''
|Team from outside the top flight
|}

{| class="sortable wikitable"
!Season
!Winners
!Score
!Runners-up
!Venue
!Attendance
|-
|[[1991–92 Slovenian Football Cup|1991–92]]
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cedff2"|0–0 ([[Overtime (sports)#Association football|a.e.t.]])<br>(4–3 [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|pen.]])
|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1945–2005)|Olimpija]]
|[[Bežigrad Stadium|Bežigrad]]
|align=center|2,000
|-
|[[1992–93 Slovenian Football Cup|1992–93]]
|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1945–2005)|Olimpija]]
|align=center|2–1
|[[NK Celje|Celje]]
|[[Skalna Klet]]
|align=center|2,500
|-
|[[1993–94 Slovenian Football Cup|1993–94]]
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cef2e0"|3–2 (agg.)
|[[NK Mura|Mura]]
|''Two-legged final''
|align=center|
|-
|[[1994–95 Slovenian Football Cup|1994–95]]
|[[NK Mura|Mura]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cef2e0"|2–1 (agg.)
|[[NK Celje|Celje]]
|''Two-legged final''
|align=center|
|-
|[[1995–96 Slovenian Football Cup|1995–96]]
|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1945–2005)|Olimpija]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cef2e0"|2–1 (agg.)
|[[NK Primorje|Primorje]]
|''Two-legged final''
|align=center|
|-
|[[1996–97 Slovenian Football Cup|1996–97]]
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cef2e0"|3–0 (agg.)
|[[NK Primorje|Primorje]]
|''Two-legged final''
|align=center|
|-
|[[1997–98 Slovenian Football Cup|1997–98]]
|[[NK Rudar Velenje|Rudar Velenje]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cef2e0"|4–2 (agg.)
|[[NK Primorje|Primorje]]
|''Two-legged final''
|align=center|
|-
|[[1998–99 Slovenian Football Cup|1998–99]]
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cef2e0"|5–2 (agg.)
|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1945–2005)|Olimpija]]
|''Two-legged final''
|align=center|
|-
|[[1999–2000 Slovenian Football Cup|1999–2000]]
|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1945–2005)|Olimpija]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cef2e0"|3–2 (agg.)
|[[NK Korotan Prevalje|Korotan Prevalje]]
|''Two-legged final''
|align=center|
|-
|[[2000–01 Slovenian Football Cup|2000–01]]
|[[ND Gorica|Gorica]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cef2e0"|4–3 (agg.)
|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1945–2005)|Olimpija]]
|''Two-legged final''
|align=center|
|-
|[[2001–02 Slovenian Football Cup|2001–02]]
|[[ND Gorica|Gorica]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cef2e0"|6–1 (agg.)
|''[[NK Aluminij|Aluminij]]''
|''Two-legged final''
|align=center|
|-
|[[2002–03 Slovenian Football Cup|2002–03]]
|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1945–2005)|Olimpija]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cef2e0"|3–3 (agg.) ([[Away goals rule|a]])
|[[NK Celje|Celje]]
|''Two-legged final''
|align=center|
|-
|[[2003–04 Slovenian Football Cup|2003–04]]
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cef2e0"|7–4 (agg.)
|[[NK Dravograd|Dravograd]]
|''Two-legged final''
|align=center|
|-
|[[2004–05 Slovenian Football Cup|2004–05]]
|[[NK Celje|Celje]]
|align=center|1–0
|[[ND Gorica|Gorica]]
|[[Stadion Z'dežele|Arena Petrol]]
|align=center|3,800
|-
|[[2005–06 Slovenian Football Cup|2005–06]]
|[[FC Koper|Koper]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cedff2"|1–1 ([[Overtime (sports)#Association football|a.e.t.]])<br>(5–3 [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|pen.]])
|[[NK Celje|Celje]]
|[[Stadion Z'dežele|Arena Petrol]]
|align=center|3,200
|-
|[[2006–07 Slovenian Football Cup|2006–07]]
|[[FC Koper|Koper]]
|align=center|1–0
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|[[Stadion Z'dežele|Arena Petrol]]
|align=center|3,500
|-
|[[2007–08 Slovenian Football Cup|2007–08]]
|[[NK IB 1975 Ljubljana|Interblock]]
|align=center|2–1
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|[[Stadion Z'dežele|Arena Petrol]]
|align=center|5,400
|-
|[[2008–09 Slovenian Football Cup|2008–09]]
|[[NK IB 1975 Ljubljana|Interblock]]
|align=center|2–1
|[[FC Koper|Koper]]
|[[Ljudski vrt]]
|align=center|2,500
|-
|[[2009–10 Slovenian Football Cup|2009–10]]
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|align=center style="background-color:#FBCEB1"|3–2 ([[Overtime (sports)#Association football|a.e.t.]])
|[[NK Domžale|Domžale]]
|[[Ljudski vrt]]
|align=center|6,000
|-
|[[2010–11 Slovenian Football Cup|2010–11]]
|[[NK Domžale|Domžale]]
|align=center|4–3
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|[[Stožice Stadium|Stožice]]
|align=center|6,000
|-
|[[2011–12 Slovenian Football Cup|2011–12]]
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cedff2"|[[2012 Slovenian Football Cup final|2–2]] ([[Overtime (sports)#Association football|a.e.t.]])<br>(3–2 [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|pen.]])
|[[NK Celje|Celje]]
|[[Stožice Stadium|Stožice]]
|align=center|4,132
|-
|[[2012–13 Slovenian Football Cup|2012–13]]
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|align=center|[[2013 Slovenian Football Cup final|1–0]]
|[[NK Celje|Celje]]
|[[Bonifika Stadium|Bonifika]]
|align=center|1,500
|-
|[[2013–14 Slovenian Football Cup|2013–14]]
|[[ND Gorica|Gorica]]
|align=center|[[2014 Slovenian Football Cup final|2–0]]
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|[[Bonifika Stadium|Bonifika]]
|align=center|3,500
|-
|[[2014–15 Slovenian Football Cup|2014–15]]
|[[FC Koper|Koper]]
|align=center|[[2015 Slovenian Football Cup final|2–0]]
|[[NK Celje|Celje]]
|[[Bonifika Stadium|Bonifika]]
|align=center|3,000
|-
|[[2015–16 Slovenian Football Cup|2015–16]]
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cedff2"|[[2016 Slovenian Football Cup final|2–2]] ([[Overtime (sports)#Association football|a.e.t.]])<br>(7–6 [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|pen.]])
|[[NK Celje|Celje]]
|[[Bonifika Stadium|Bonifika]]
|align=center|2,500
|-
|[[2016–17 Slovenian Football Cup|2016–17]]
|[[NK Domžale|Domžale]]
|align=center|[[2017 Slovenian Football Cup final|1–0]]
|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana|Olimpija Ljubljana]]
|[[Bonifika Stadium|Bonifika]]
|align=center|3,230
|-
|[[2017–18 Slovenian Football Cup|2017–18]]
|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana|Olimpija Ljubljana]]
|align=center|6–1
|[[NK Aluminij|Aluminij]]
|[[Stožice Stadium|Stožice]]
|align=center|8,804
|-
|[[2018–19 Slovenian Football Cup|2018–19]]
|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana|Olimpija Ljubljana]]
|align=center|2–1
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|[[Stadion Z'dežele]]
|align=center|8,623
|-
|[[2019–20 Slovenian Football Cup|2019–20]]
|[[NŠ Mura|Mura]]
|align=center|2–0
|''[[NK Nafta 1903|Nafta 1903]]''
|NNC Brdo
|align=center|200
|-
|[[2020–21 Slovenian Football Cup|2020–21]]
|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana|Olimpija Ljubljana]]
|align=center|2–1
|[[NK Celje|Celje]]
|[[Bonifika Stadium|Bonifika]]
|align=center|1,200
|-
|[[2021–22 Slovenian Football Cup|2021–22]]
|[[FC Koper|Koper]]
|align=center|3–1
|[[NK Bravo|Bravo]]
|[[Stadion Z'dežele]]
|align=center|3,200
|-
|[[2022–23 Slovenian Football Cup|2022–23]]
|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana|Olimpija Ljubljana]]
|align=center style="background-color:#FBCEB1"|2–1 ([[Overtime (sports)#Association football|a.e.t.]])
|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
|[[Stadion Z'dežele]]
|align=center|9,217
|-
|[[2023–24 Slovenian Football Cup|2023–24]]
|[[NK Rogaška|Rogaška]]
|align=center style="background-color:#cedff2"|1–1 ([[Overtime (sports)#Association football|a.e.t.]])<br />(6–5 [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|pen.]])
|''[[ND Gorica|Gorica]]''
|[[Stožice Stadium|Stožice]]
|align=center|4,042
|-
|[[2024–25 Slovenian Football Cup|2024–25]]
|[[NK Celje|Celje]]
|align=center|4–0
|[[FC Koper|Koper]]
|[[Stožice Stadium|Stožice]]
|align=center|6,108
|}

==List of winners==
Teams shown in ''italics'' are no longer in existence.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
!width="120"|Club
!Winners
!Last final won
!Runners-up
!Last final lost
|-
|align=left|[[NK Maribor|Maribor]]||9||2016||6||2023
|-bgcolor=#EEEEEE
|align=left|''[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1945–2005)|Olimpija]]''{{efn|name=Olimpija|The original Olimpija went bankrupt and folded in 2005. In the same year, NK Bežigrad was founded. In 2008, the club renamed as Olimpija Ljubljana. Legally, the original and the new club are two separate entities.}}||4||2003||3||2001
|-
|align=left|[[FC Koper|Koper]]||4||2022||2||2025
|-bgcolor=#EEEEEE
|align=left|[[NK Olimpija Ljubljana|Olimpija Ljubljana]]{{efn|name=Olimpija}}||4||2023 ||1||2017
|-
|align=left|[[ND Gorica|Gorica]]||3||2014||2||2024
|-bgcolor=#EEEEEE
|align=left|[[NK Celje|Celje]]||2||2025 ||9||2021
|-
|align=left|[[NK Domžale|Domžale]]||2||2017 ||1||2010
|-bgcolor=#EEEEEE
|align=left|[[NK IB 1975 Ljubljana|Interblock]]||2||2009||0||—
|-
|align=left|''[[NK Mura]]''{{efn|name=Mura|The original Mura went bankrupt and folded in 2005. Legally, the original and the new club are two separate entities.}}||1||1995 ||1||1994
|-bgcolor=#EEEEEE
|align=left|[[NK Rudar Velenje|Rudar Velenje]]||1||1998 ||0||—
|-
|align=left|[[NŠ Mura]]{{efn|name=Mura}}||1||2020 ||0||—
|-bgcolor=#EEEEEE
|align=left|[[NK Rogaška|Rogaška]]||1||2024 ||0||—
|-
|align=left|''[[NK Primorje|Primorje]]''||0||— ||3||1998
|-bgcolor=#EEEEEE
|align=left|[[NK Aluminij|Aluminij]]||0||— ||2||2018
|-
|align=left|''[[NK Korotan Prevalje|Korotan Prevalje]]''||0||— ||1||2000
|-bgcolor=#EEEEEE
|align=left|[[NK Dravograd|Dravograd]]||0||— ||1||2004
|-
|align=left|[[NK Nafta 1903|Nafta 1903]]||0||— ||1||2020
|-bgcolor=#EEEEEE
|align=left|[[NK Bravo|Bravo]]||0||— ||1||2022
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.nzs.si/tekmovanja/?id_menu=1081 Slovenian Cup] at [[Football Association of Slovenia|NZS]] {{in lang|sl}}
*[https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/slovcuphist.html Slovenian Cup] at [[Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation]]

{{Slovenian Football Cup}}
{{National football Cups (UEFA region)}} 
{{Football in Slovenia}}

[[Category:Slovenian Football Cup| ]]
[[Category:Football cup competitions in Slovenia|1]]
[[Category:National association football cups|Slovenia]]
[[Category:1991 establishments in Slovenia]]