The Berliner Landespokal () is an annual football cup competition held by the Berlin Football Association (German: Berliner Fußballverband, BFV). The cup winner qualifies for the national DFB-Pokal. Cup finals are usually held in the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. The competition has been held since 1906, with various interruptions. Record winners are Tennis Borussia Berlin with a total of 16 titles. It is one of the 21 regional cup competitions in Germany.
Mode All BFV teams that compete in regular leagues are eligible, as well as the winner of the "Freizeitpokal" (a competition for recreational football teams). Teams competing in the Fußball-Bundesliga and the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga are not allowed to compete. Starting with the 2007–08 season, only the first teams of every club may compete in the cup. There is a separate cup competition for the reserve teams.
The competition is held in a knock-out tournament format, with each round consisting of a single match. If scores are level, extra time will be played, and a penalty shootout follows, if necessary. Home field advantage is determined by the draw, clubs share the revenue from the match. In the final, revenue is shared equally between the finalists and the Berlin FA.
1906–1950: Berlin and Brandenburg Cup History Until 1931 the cup was played as "Berliner Verbandspokal" (Berlin Association Cup) in the Berlin-Brandenburg area. From 1932 to 1942 it was not held, because the national Tschammerpokal was introduced. Beginning with the 1943 edition it was re-introduced as the "Gaupokal Berlin-Brandenburg", its winner qualifying for the national cup competition. In the 1943–44 season, the Gaupokal was held, but the DFB-Pokal could not be held due to the Second World War. After the war ended and Berlin was divided in four sectors, the cup was held as "Pokal des amerikanischen Drahtfunks" (Cup of American Wire Radio) from 1946 to 1947, later renamed "RIAS-Pokal". Little had changed, with the notable exception that no Brandenburg clubs participated. From 1950, East Berlin clubs were no longer allowed to participate, they were incorporated into the East German football league system.
In the early years, the cup was dominated mostly by BFC Viktoria 1889 (initially under the name BTuFC Viktoria 1889). They managed to win the cup 5 times. But today's Bundesliga side Hertha BSC Berlin were able to capture the trophy five times as well.
Final results Year Winner Finalist Result 1907 BTuFC Viktoria 1889 Berliner BC 03 2–0 1908 BTuFC Viktoria 1889 BTuFC Union 1892 4–0 1909 BTuFC Viktoria 1889 Berliner BC 03 4–0 1910 Weißenseer FC BSC Fortuna 4–1 1920 BFC Hertha 92 (Winner of a 14 team league) 1923 SV Norden-Nordwest BBC Brandenburg 92 2–0 1924 Hertha BSC BV 06 Luckenwalde 1–0 1925 SV Norden-Nordwest 1. FC Neukölln 3–1 1926 BFC Viktoria 1889 Union Oberschöneweide 4–3 1927 BFC Viktoria 1889 SV Norden-Nordwest 6–2 1928 Hertha BSC BV 06 Luckenwalde 9–2 1929 Hertha BSC BFC Viktoria 1889 5–1 1930 Berliner SV 1892 Spandauer SV 5–1 1931 Tennis Borussia Berlin SC Wacker 04 Berlin 6–0 1943 Hertha BSC Tennis Borussia Berlin 4–3 AET 1944 Polizei Berlin Tennis Borussia Berlin 6–2 1946 SG Wilmersdorf SG Tempelhof 2–1 AET 1947 SG Oberschöneweide SG Wilmersdorf 4–3 AET 1948 SG Oberschöneweide Tennis Borussia Berlin 2–2 AET 3–1 (Replay) 1949 Tennis Borussia Berlin Berliner FC Alemannia 1890 2–0
1950–1991: West Berlin Cup History With the creation of the West German and East German states in 1949 and the subsequent introduction of the DDR-Oberliga and the FDGB-Pokal a lot changed for the Berlin Cup. Beginning with the 1950–51 season, East Berlin teams had to participate in the GDR competitions and the Berlin Cup was held for West Berlin teams only.
From 1950 to 1970 the cup was held under the name "Karl-Heinz-Schulz-Pokal". Schulz was a sports journalist and coach. Among other things he had coached the German rowing eight at the 1936 Olympic Games. Aged 39, he died after complications following surgery.
In 1969 there was no cup winner, as the penalty shootout was not yet introduced and Hertha 03 Zehlendorf took their traditional world tour immediately after the match, so a replay match could not be scheduled.
In 1970 the cup was renamed "Paul-Rusch-Pokal". Paul Rusch had been made first president of the Berlin FA in 1949. He held that position until 1970. All non-professional sides that participated in the regular league competitions held by the Berlin FA. Since the 1957–58 season, the cup winner has qualified for the national cup competition, the DFB-Pokal.
Final results Year Winner Finalist Result 1950 SC Wacker 04 Berlin Tennis Borussia Berlin 2–1 AET 1951 Tennis Borussia Berlin SC Union 06 Berlin 2–1 AET 1952 SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin SC Wacker 04 Berlin 3–0 1953 BFC Viktoria 1889 Berliner SV 1892 4–2 1954 Spandauer SV Tennis Borussia Berlin 1–0 1955 Spandauer SV SC Minerva 1893 2–1 AET 1956 Spandauer SV SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin 2–2 and 1–1 AETThe first match was abandoned. After the second match, Spandau was declared the winner after the drawing of lots. 1957 SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin Berliner SV 1892 3–1 1958 Hertha BSC Spandauer SV 4–1 1959 Hertha BSC SC Wacker 04 Berlin 5–2 1960 SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin Tennis Borussia Berlin 3–0 1961 SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin BFC Südring 3–0 1962 SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin BFC Meteor 06 4–1 1963 SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin SC Wacker 04 Berlin 2–1 1964 Tennis Borussia Berlin Spandauer SV 2–2 AET 7–1 (Replay) 1965 Tennis Borussia Berlin SC Wacker 04 Berlin 1–1 AET 3–2 (Replay) 1966 Hertha BSC Tennis Borussia Berlin 6–3 1967 Hertha BSC SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin 1–0 1968 SC Wacker 04 Berlin FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf 4–2 1969 no winnerNo replay date could be fixed. Tennis Borussia BerlinHertha 03 Zehlendorf 1–1 AET 1970 SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin Tennis Borussia Berlin 2–0 1971 SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin SC Wacker 04 Berlin 4–2 1972 SC Wacker 04 Berlin SpVgg Hellas-Nordwest 04 5–0 1973 Tennis Borussia Berlin SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin 1–0 1974 Rapide Wedding FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf 5–3 1975 Spandauer SV FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf 4–1 1976 Hertha BSC Amateure BFC Preussen 4–1 1977 FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf Traber FC Mariendorf 2–1 1978 Spandauer SV BFC Preussen 2–1 1979 BFC Preussen Reinickendorfer Füchse 5–3 1980 BFC Preussen SC Wacker 04 Berlin 6–1 1981 BFC Preussen Reinickendorfer Füchse 2–1 1982 FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf Rapide Wedding 3–1 1983 SC Charlottenburg Tennis Borussia Berlin 3–2 1984 SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin Lichterfelder Sport-Union 1951 3–1 1985 Tennis Borussia Berlin SC Charlottenburg 1–0 1986 SC Charlottenburg Spandauer SV 2–1 1987 Hertha BSC Tennis Borussia Berlin 2–0 1988 Türkiyemspor Berlin BFC Preussen 2–1 AET 1989 FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf Türkiyemspor Berlin 2–0 1990 Türkiyemspor Berlin FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf 2–1 1991 Türkiyemspor Berlin NSC Marathon 02 3–0
1992 until today: Berlin Cup for all of Berlin History After German reunification in 1990 football competition in East and West Berlin were unified in the 1991–92 season. Since then only two teams from the former East Berlin has been able to win the cup. 1. FC Union Berlin won the cup in 1994 and 2007. BFC Dynamo won the cup for the first time 1999 and has gone on to win the cup several more times. Other teams from former East Berlin has been finalists, such as Köpenicker SC in 2007 and SV Lichtenberg 47 in 2013 and 2016. Köpenicker SC was founded in 1991 and thus never participated in the East German football league system, but is considered the successor of BSG Motor Köpenick.
The Paul Rusch Cup rarely attracted more than regional interest. But in 1992–93 the reserve of Hertha BSC attracted national interest when they reached the DFB-Pokal final after winning the Berlin Cup. In the final the team lost to Bayer Leverkusen. In 2001 two teams formed by immigrants faced each other for the first time in a German Regional Cup final. The Turkish derby between SV Yeşilyurt Berlin and Türkiyemspor Berlin generated international media interest and created for the first live broadcast of the Berlin Cup final by Turkish TV channel TRT-int.
In 2004 the competition was renamed again, bearing the name "ODDSET-Cup" until 2006. After a court decision this name could no longer be used and so the cup was held under the name "BFV-Pokal – unter der Schirmherrschaft von Lotto Berlin" (BFV-Cup – under the patronage of Lotto Berlin) or short "BFV-Pokal" (BFC-Cup), before it was renamed "Berliner-Pilsner-Pokal" (after a brand of beer) in 2007.
Final results The respective league the teams competed in is referenced in brackets behind the team name: 3L: 3. Liga (since 2008) RL: Regionalliga Nordost (1994 until 2000) or Regionalliga Nord (since 2000) OL: NOFV-Oberliga Mitte (1991 until 1994) or NOFV-Oberliga Nord (since 1992) VL: Verbandsliga Berlin (Berlin-Liga) LL: Landesliga Berlin