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Soviet Cup

Soviet football competition


Soviet football competition

FieldValue
nameSoviet Cup
organiserFootball Federation of the USSR
founded
abolished1992
regionSoviet Union
number of teams80 (1991–92)
current championsSpartak Moscow (10th title)
most successful clubSpartak Moscow (10 titles)
qualifier forEuropean Cup Winners' Cup (from 1965)
Note

The Soviet Cup, or USSR Cup (), was the premier football cup competition in the Soviet Union conducted by the Football Federation of the Soviet Union. The 1991–92 season of the tournament was known as Soviet/CIS Cup (). As a knockout tournament it was conducted parallel to the All-Union league competitions in double round-robin format.

The winner of the competition was awarded a qualification to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, unless it already qualified for the European Cup, in turn passed the qualification to the finalist. In case if a team would win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and not win its national league cup titles the next year, it qualified to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup along with the new cup holder. The first participation in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup took place in 1965–66 when Dynamo Kyiv qualified for the European competition for winning the 1964 Soviet Cup.

On initiative of Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper starting from 1977, the Soviet Cup winner was invited to contest the Soviet Top League winner in a single match competition known as the Season's Cup which served as the Soviet Super Cup but was not considered official.

Format

Format of competitions was constantly changing.

The very first edition of the competition in 1936 was a single-elimination tournament (more precisely sudden-death tournament) throughout all rounds. It was played during the season's summer intermission of the 1936 split season. The tournament consisted of seven rounds starting with the Round of 128.

The first changes took place in the 1938 Soviet Cup when there was introduced a preliminary (qualification) stage as the number of participants grew. The competition still was a single-elimination tournament with only more added rounds (up to 9). The Soviet Cup also featured the 1938 Cup of the Ukrainian SSR. All teams of masters (All-Union league teams) started from the final stage. The competition rounds were in-mixed within the league's playing calendar for the first time. The final stage contained 6 rounds.

In 1939 the competition was expanded as number of participants grew over 6 times. Starting from 1939 the preliminary stage was expanded and included republican football cup for each union republic, winners of which would qualify for the Soviet Cup finals.

In 1940 the competition was split. The league teams (Groups A and B) were scheduled to play for the All-Union Sports Committee Cup, while non-league teams (republican level) were competing in a separate bracket, winner of which would play the All-Union Sports Committee Cup holder. However, due to scheduling issues the All-Union Sports Committee Cup was postponed and never took place.

Involvement of the republican cup winners was suspended after the World War II and reintroduced in 1949. Those winners continued to qualify for the Soviet Cup until 1955 and starting from 1957 they were rerouted to the Soviet Amateur Cup. There is a legend that during that period the competition was nicknamed as the "Cup of Millions".

Until 1984 the Soviet Cup corresponded to the calendar of the whole Soviet football "spring"-"fall", however after that it changed to "fall"-"spring" calendar which synchronized it with the most of Europe.

In 1959-1960 the competition was conducted for two years. From 1965 to 1968 seasons were overlapping each other.

Until 1957, in the tournament participated "teams of physical culture" (Soviet "newspeak" (phraseology) for non-professional, amateur teams). After 1957 teams of physical culture competed in a separate competition known as the Soviet Amateur Cup. Since then, the tournament was restricted to professional clubs (teams of masters) of the All-Union competition (tiers 1 through 3).

In 1979 to 1982 there was a group stage better teams of which would continue in a traditional single-game elimination format.

The 1992 Soviet Cup Final took place after the fall of the Soviet Union in the independent Russia.

All tournaments final were played in a single game in Moscow, but until introduction of penalty kicks in early 1970s as a tiebreaker some finals that ended in tie were replayed. Introduction of the penalty shoot-out was adopted for tiebreaker took place in 1972 after such procedure was adopted by FIFA in 1970.

Until 1955 the tournament finals were played at Central Stadium "Dynamo", after being transferred to Central Stadium of Lenin (today Luzhniki Stadium).

Trophy

The cup itself is an artistically crafted crystal vase in a silver frame. The cup is crowned with a bronze figurine of a football player with a ball. The names of the teams that won the cup are engraved on the lid and base.

The trophy's height is 57 cm, weight is 6 kg. In 1992, after Spartak Moscow won the last USSR Cup, the trophy was given to the club forever.

The cup itself was bought in an ordinary Moscow thrift store. Few people knew about the Davis Cup in the Soviet Union at that time, and accusations of plagiarism could not follow by definition.

Together with the All-Union Council on Physical Culture and Sport inspector Morar, Aleksei Sokolov created a sketch of the future prize. The jewelers attached silver legs to the base and built a lid with a small hole on top. There they mounted a figurine of a football player, donated by Raspevin, a great fan of this game. The crystal chest of the trophy was decorated with the coat of arms of the USSR.

Venues of the final match

All finals were played in the Soviet Union capital, Moscow. In 1936 to 1955 it was Central Dynamo Stadium, while since 1957 it was Luzhniki Stadium which was known then as Lenin Central Stadium. There were also exceptions such as the venue of the final in 1977 and 1987/88 was Dynamo, while in 1978 it was the only time when Torpedo Stadium hosted the final match. The last final match in 1992 at Luzhniki was played following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

While Spartak Moscow is the absolute leader in total number of trophies won, Dinamo Kiev won the most Soviet Cup in those finals played in Luzhniki Stadium. Also, Luzhniki were even favorable to the Western Ukrainian team of Karpaty.

Venues by the number of final matches

  • 32 – Lenin Central Stadium, Moscow
  • 18 – Dynamo Central Stadium, Moscow
  • 1 – Torpedo Stadium, Moscow

Seasons and final games

SeasonDatesTeamsWinnersScoreRunners–upLokomotiv MoscowDynamo MoscowSpartak MoscowSpartak MoscowZenit LeningradCDKA MoscowSpartak MoscowSpartak MoscowCDKA MoscowTorpedo MoscowSpartak MoscowCDSA MoscowTorpedo MoscowDynamo MoscowDynamo KyivCDSA MoscowLokomotiv MoscowSpartak MoscowTorpedo MoscowShakhtyor StalinoShakhtyor DonetskSpartak MoscowDynamo KyivSpartak MoscowDynamo KyivDynamo MoscowTorpedo MoscowKarpaty LvivDynamo MoscowSpartak MoscowTorpedo MoscowArarat YerevanDynamo KyivArarat YerevanDinamo TbilisiDynamo MoscowDynamo KyivDinamo TbilisiShakhtar DonetskSKA Rostov-on-DonDynamo KyivShakhtar DonetskDynamo MoscowDynamo KyivTorpedo MoscowDynamo KyivMetalist KharkivDnipro DnipropetrovskDynamo KyivCSKA MoscowSpartak Moscow
193618 July – 28 August942–0Dinamo Tbilisi
193723 May – 16 July1255–2Dinamo Tbilisi
19385 May – 14 September64*3–2Elektrik Leningrad
193929 July – 12 September493–1Stalinets Leningrad
194022 September – 10 Novembercanceled, only its qualification stage had been completed
1941no competition due to the Nazi Germany aggression against the Soviet Union
1942
1943
194430 July – 27 August242–1CDKA Moscow
19459 September – 14 October322–1Dynamo Moscow
19466 – 20 October163–2Dinamo Tbilisi
19471 June – 21 July19*2–0Torpedo Moscow
194825 September – 24 October203–0Spartak Moscow
194916 June – 4 November54*2–1Dynamo Moscow
195010 September – 6 November693–0Dynamo Moscow
195111 August – 14 October512–1Kalinin team
195221 August – 2 November501–0Spartak Moscow
19532 September – 10 October561–0Zenit Kuybyshev
195415 August – 20 October672–1Spartak Yerevan
195525 May – 16 October16*2–1Dynamo Moscow
1956no competition
195728 April – 26 October24*1–0Spartak Moscow
19589 June – 2 November16*1–0Torpedo Moscow
1959–6011 June 1959 – 31 October 196032*4–3Dinamo Tbilisi
19619 May – 29 October64*3–1Torpedo Moscow
196222 April – 11 August32*2–0Znamya Truda Orekhovo-Zuyevo
19637 April – 10 August48*2–0Shakhtar Donetsk
196416 April – 27 September52*1–0Krylya Sovetov Kuybyshev
19654 April – August 1556*0–0Dynamo Minsk
2–1 (replay)
1965–662 April 1965 – 8 November 196679*2–0Torpedo Moscow
1966–6723 April 1966 – 8 November 196785*3–0CSKA Moscow
1967–6816 March 1967 – 8 November 1968107*1–0Pakhtakor Tashkent
196923 March – 17 August32*2–1SKA Rostov-on-Don
197031 March – 8 August32*2–1Dinamo Tbilisi
19716 March – August 8382–2SKA Rostov-on-Don
1–0 (replay)
197220 February – August 13360–0Spartak Moscow
1–1 (replay)
19734 March – 10 October362–1Dynamo Kyiv
19746 March – 10 August363–0Zorya Voroshilovgrad
197516 March – 9 August362–1Zorya Voroshilovgrad
197621 March – 3 September423–0Ararat Yerevan
197727 March – 13 August481–0Torpedo Moscow
19783 March – 12 August482–1Shakhtar Donetsk
197928 February – 11 August480–0Dynamo Moscow
198025 February – 9 August482–1Dinamo Tbilisi
198120 February – 9 May481–0Spartak Moscow
198219 February – 9 May401–0Torpedo Moscow
198319 February – 8 May401–0Metalist Kharkiv
198418 February – 24 June482–0Zenit Leningrad
1984–8531 July 1984 – 23 June 1985502–1Shakhtar Donetsk
1985–8624 June 1985 – 2 May 1986741–0Shakhtar Donetsk
1986–872 May 1986 – 14 June 1987803–3Dynamo Minsk
1987–886 June 1987 – 28 May 1988802–0Torpedo Moscow
1988–892 May 1988 – 25 June 1989801–0Torpedo Moscow
1989–902 May 1989 – 2 May 1990806–1Lokomotiv Moscow
1990–9114 April 1990 – 23 June 1991783–2Torpedo Moscow
1991–9217 April 1991 – 10 May 1992802–0CSKA Moscow

Notes:

  • The "teams" column includes number of participants in the final stage (tournament proper). Those with asterisk (x*) indicates that there was a preliminary (qualification) stage with additional number of participants.

Overall statistics

Until 1959-1960 season, the competition was dominated by Muscovite clubs, particularly Spartak and CSKA. Unlike the round-robin competitions, Dinamo Kiev was not as successful yet managed to get as close as possible to Spartak surpassing all other clubs out of Moscow and other Soviet cities. The first non-Moscow team that won the trophy was Zenit Leningrad which won it in the first post war season of 1944. It became the single achievement for the team out of the "northern capital". In 1961 and 1962, the competition was won back-to-back by Shakhter Donetsk which became a unique achievement. In 1969, Karpaty Lvov won the competition while playing in the second tier (Pervaya Liga) by beating SKA Rostov-na-Donu in Moscow. In 1970s teams from the Caucasus region (Dinamo Tbilisi and Ararat Yerevan) have shown good performance winning 4 trophies with 2 for each.

The only other than Moscow or Leningrad teams from Russian SFSR that won the Soviet Cup was SKA Rostov-na-Donu in 1981. Twice reached the finals but did not manage to win it were Krylya Sovetov Kuibyshev, Dinamo Minsk, Zaria Voroshilovgrad.

Performance by club

ClubWinnersRunners-upSemi-finalistsYears wonTotal5151102
Russian SFSR Spartak Moscow10*571938, 1939, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1958, 1963, 1965, 1971, 1992*
Ukrainian SSR Dinamo Kiev9141954, 1964, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1990
Russian SFSR Torpedo Moscow6951949, 1952, 1960, 1968, 1972, 1986
Russian SFSR Dinamo Moscow65101937, 1953, 1967, 1970, 1977, 1984
Russian SFSR CSKA Moscow53111945, 1948, 1951, 1955, 1991
Ukrainian SSR Shakhter Donetsk4461961, 1962, 1980, 1983
Georgian SSR Dinamo Tbilisi2671976, 1979
Armenian SSR Ararat Yerevan2221973, 1975
Russian SFSR Lokomotiv Moscow2171936, 1957
Russian SFSR Zenit Leningrad1271944
Russian SFSR SKA Rostov-na-Donu1201981
Ukrainian SSR Metallist Kharkov1111988
Ukrainian SSR Karpaty Lvov1021969
Ukrainian SSR Dnepr Dnepropetrovsk1051989
Russian SFSR Krylya Sovetov Kuibyshev022
Byelorussian SSR Dinamo Minsk022
Ukrainian SSR Zaria Voroshilovgrad021
Russian SFSR Elektrik Leningrad011
Russian SFSR Kalinin city team010
Russian SFSR Znamia Truda Orekhovo-Zuyevo010
Uzbek SSR Pakhtakor Tashkent010
Azerbaijan SSR Neftchi Baku004
Russian SFSR Dinamo Leningrad003
Uzbek SSR Dinamo Tashkent001
Russian SFSR Rotor Volgograd001
Russian SFSR VSS Moscow001
Ukrainian SSR SKA Kiev001
Ukrainian SSR SKA Odessa001
Russian SFSR Admiralteyets Leningrad001
Kazakh SSR Qairat Almaty001
Ukrainian SSR Chernomorets Odessa001
Russian SFSR Sokol Saratov001
Ukrainian SSR Sudostroitel Nikolayev001
Russian SFSR Iskra Smolensk001
Ukrainian SSR Tavriya Simferopol001
Lithuanian SSR Žalgiris Vilnius001
Tajik SSR Pamir Dushanbe001
Russian SFSR Fakel Voronezh001
  • Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 25 December 1991, clubs from around the fallen Soviet Union refused their further participation among which were Ukrainian clubs who effectively forfeiting their chances at the Cup, Belarusian Dinamo Minsk, Kazakhstani Khimik Dzhambul, and others, leaving only Pamir Dushanbe as the non-Russian club still in the competition.

Performance by republic

RepublicWinnersRunners-upSemi-finalsWinning clubsTotal5151102
Russian SFSR313259Spartak Moscow (10), Dinamo Moscow (6), Torpedo Moscow (6), CSKA Moscow (5), Lokomotiv Moscow (2), Zenit Leningrad (1), SKA Rostov-na-Donu (1)
Ukrainian SSR16824Dinamo Kiev (9), Shakhter Donetsk (4), Metallist Kharkov (1), Karpaty Lvov (1), Dnepr Dnepropetrovsk (1)
Georgian SSR267Dinamo Tbilisi (2)
Armenian SSR222Ararat Yerevan (2)
Byelorussian SSR022
Uzbek SSR011
Azerbaijan SSR004
Kazakh SSR001
Lithuanian SSR001
Tajik SSR001

Best coaches

PlaceNameMedalsChampion clubs
goldsilver
1Viktor Maslov63
2Valeriy Lobanovsky6-
3Boris Arkadiev41
Nikita Simonyan41Spartak Moscow (3), Ararat Yerevan (1)
5Oleg Oshenkov31
6Valentin Ivanov25
7Aleksandr Sevidov22
8-11Nodar Akhalkatsi21
Konstantin Beskov21Dynamo Moscow
Konstantin Kvashnin21Spartak Moscow, Torpedo Moscow
Viktor Nosov21Shakhtar Donetsk

Another coach Albert Vollrat won two cups in 1946 and 1947.

Notes

References

References

  1. [https://dzen.ru/a/ZOIDQRSNhW429RV_ Последний кубок СССР-СНГ по футболу 1991/1992]. dzen.ru. 20 August 2023 (in Russian)
  2. [https://www.sportsdaily.ru/articles/30-let-poslednemu-finalu-kubka-sssr-spartak-vyigral-trofey-kotoryy-ne-khotel-otdavat-sadyrin 30 лет последнему финалу Кубка СССР. «Спартак» выиграл трофей, который не хотел отдавать Садырин]. www.sportsdaily.ru. 10 May 2022 (in Russian)
  3. [https://www.championat.com/football/article-4344545-spartak-cska-2-0-kubok-sssr-sng-1992-goda-zaminirovannye-luzhniki-goly-beschastnyh-10-j-trofej-krasno-belyh.html Последний финал Кубка СССР пытался сорвать телефонный террорист. «Спартак» это не смутило]. www.championat.com. 10 May 2021 (in Russian)
  4. [https://www.sports.ru/tribuna/blogs/ultras_action/3136947.html Заминированные «Лужники», дубль Бесчастных, пенальти Харина. 31 год назад состоялся финал последнего Кубка СССР]. www.sports.ru. 10 May 2023 (in Russian)
  5. The first chairman of the All-Union Football Section, Aleksei Sokolov, took a liking to the small pitcher, which it was decided to make a transferable trophy.[https://www.xfile.ru/x-files/sport/istorii_iz_khrustalnykh_kubkov/?sphrase_id=7567975 Истории из хрустальных кубков]. www.xfile.ru. 9 May 2017. accessed 27 February 2024
  6. [https://sport.sevastopol.su/kubkom-sssr-po-futbolu-byla-obychnaya-vaza/ Кубком СССР по футболу была обычная ваза]. sport.sevastopol.su. 30 October 2023
  7. [https://www.sport-express.ru/newspaper/2003-10-10/10_1/ ГОД 1936. ЧАСТЬ ПЯТАЯ. ПАТЕНТ НА "ВНЕЗАПНУЮ СМЕРТЬ"]. www.sport-express.ru ([[Sport-Express]]). 10 October 2003
  8. [https://dzen.ru/a/ZNndl51kTAIom2tc Все финалы кубка СССР по футболу (1936-1991): как это было, фотоархивы, статистика]. dzen.ru. 15 August 2023 (in Russian)
  9. [https://vla-glubokov.narod.ru/km40.htm Кубок СССР среди команд коллективов физической культуры 1940 год]. vla-glubokov.narod.ru. (in Russian)
  10. [https://www.sport-express.ru/football/rfpl/reviews/spartak-cska-kak-arbitr-andrey-butenko-sudil-derbi-v-1992-i-2001-godah-kakie-skandaly-proizoshli-1984989/ «Стою голым в судейской. Вдруг бросается овчарка — хорошо, ничего не оторвала». Матчи ЦСКА со «Спартаком» навсегда запомнились этому арбитру]. www.sport-express.ru. 14 October 2022 (in Russian)
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