The 1996–97 Bulgarian Cup was the 57th edition of Bulgaria’s annual football knockout tournament. The competition began in August 1996 and concluded with the final on 13 May 1997.
Format and participation
- The tournament was contested by clubs from the A Group (the top tier of Bulgarian football), B Group, and a selection of lower‑division teams that qualified through regional cup competitions.
- The structure comprised a two‑legged knockout format for the Round of 32, Round of 16, and Quarter‑finals, followed by single‑match semifinals and the final.
Defending champion
- Slavia Sofia entered the competition as the defending champions, having won the 1995–96 Bulgarian Cup.
Progression
- In the Round of 32, all 16 A Group clubs entered the competition and were drawn against lower‑division opponents.
- The Round of 16 and Quarter‑finals were also played over two legs, with aggregate scores determining the advancing teams.
Semi‑finals
- The semi‑finals were contested over two legs as well. CSKA Sofia defeated Botev Plovdiv, while Levski Sofia progressed past Lokomotiv Sofia.
Final
- Date: 13 May 1997
- Venue: Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia
- Attendance: approximately 12 500 spectators
- Result: CSKA Sofia 3 – 1 Levski Sofia
CSKA Sofia claimed their 19th Bulgarian Cup title. The victory secured a place for CSKA Sofia in the 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
Key notes
- The final was notable for the rivalry between the two most successful clubs in Bulgarian football, with CSKA’s three‑goal margin representing a decisive win over their arch‑rivals.
- The competition’s top scorer for the season is not comprehensively recorded in publicly available sources.
Historical context
- The 1996–97 edition continued the post‑communist era tradition of the Bulgarian Cup, which had been re‑branded from the former “Cup of the Soviet Army” after 1990.
References
- Bulgarian Football Union archives (match reports and official season summaries).
- Contemporary newspaper coverage from „Sport“, „24 часа“, and „Trud“ (May 1997).
