Definition
The 2013–14 Danish Cup, officially known as DBU Pokalen for that season, was the 60th edition of Denmark’s primary knockout football competition, organized by the Danish Football Association (DBU).
Overview
The tournament commenced in July 2013 and concluded with the final on 15 May 2014 at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. A total of 106 teams from across the Danish football league system entered the competition, beginning with lower‑division clubs in the first round and introducing clubs from the Danish Superliga in later stages. The competition followed a single‑elimination format, with matches decided by extra time and, if necessary, penalty shoot‑outs.
FC Copenhagen emerged as the champions, defeating AaB (Aalborg BK) 2–1 after extra time in the final. The victory secured FC Copenhagen a place in the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds.
Etymology/Origin
The term “Danish Cup” denotes the national cup tournament of Denmark. In Danish it is called “DBU Pokalen,” with “DBU” standing for Dansk Boldspil‑Union (the Danish Football Association) and “Pokalen” meaning “the cup.” The season is identified by the two calendar years it spans, a convention common to European football competitions that run across the autumn‑spring calendar.
Characteristics
- Structure: Pure knockout competition; each round consists of a single match. Early rounds feature regionalised draws to reduce travel for lower‑tier clubs.
- Entry: Clubs from the Denmark Series (fourth tier) and below start in the first round; clubs from the 1st Division (second tier) join in the second round; Superliga clubs enter in the third round.
- Match rules: If a match is tied after 90 minutes, two 15‑minute periods of extra time are played, followed by a penalty shoot‑out if necessary.
- European qualification: The cup winner earns a spot in the following season’s UEFA Europa League (or its successor competition). If the winner has already qualified for a European competition via league position, the spot passes to the next highest‑placed league team not already qualified.
- Final venue: Traditionally held at Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium, providing a neutral ground for the concluding match.
Related Topics
- DBU Pokalen (general overview of the Danish Cup competition)
- 2013–14 Danish Superliga (concurrent top‑division league season)
- FC Copenhagen (club that won the 2013–14 Danish Cup)
- AaB (Aalborg BK, runner‑up in the 2013–14 final)
- 2014–15 UEFA Europa League (European competition for which the cup winner qualified)
Note: All factual statements are based on publicly available records of the 2013–14 Danish Cup season.