The men’s Finnish Cup in football will see a historic number of teams in the upcoming season. The cup competition, celebrating its 70th anniversary, breaks its 20-year-old record.
Football’s Finnish Cup is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a historic number of teams. Palloliitto says that a total of 420 teams will participate in the men’s Finnish Cup this year.
At the same time, it breaks the 20-year-old cup tournament participant record. In 2005, a total of 392 teams participated in the Finnish Cup.
– The all-time record reading, well into the new century, draws one to be quiet and humble. There was an increase of 56 teams (15.4%) compared to last year, and the record improved incredibly by 28 teams. For this, one can only be grateful to the clubs for the reception the Suomen Cup has received again, Suomen Cup’s development manager Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki tells In the bulletin of the Swedish Football Association.
Football’s domestic cup tournament has experienced a real rebirth after its momentary downturn. The number of participants fell drastically throughout the 2010s and hit a historic low in 2020. Only 43 teams participated in the corona season and the game format based on group models did not arouse joy.
In 2021, the decision made by Pallloliitto to return the cup to its familiar “result or out” model, where teams play with a continuous playoff model, has now borne fruit.
– The format of the Finnish Cup has been refined for more than three years, listening to the clubs with a sensitive ear. Now the competition serves all series levels as well as possible. Always in a competition like this, each league level has to flex a little for the common good, but we do this for the clubs, says Leivo-Jokimäki.
There are teams in the tournament from nine different league levels this season. As usual, the highest league is the Veikkausliiga, the smallest teams compete in the Seiska division (9th league level). The first matches of the men’s Finnish Cup will be played in February, the first matches will be drawn at the end of January.