The Federation Cup was an annual knockout football competition and the premier cup competition in men's domestic Indian football league system. Established in 1977, it is organized by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). In 2017,[1] The Federation Cup was briefly replaced by the Super Cup from 2017–18.
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| Organiser(s) | All India Football Federation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1977 |
| Abolished | 2017 (rebranded as AIFF Super Cup) |
| Region | India |
| Teams | 32 |
| Qualifier for | Indian Super Cup |
| Related competitions | National Football League |
| Domestic cup | Durand Cup |
| Last champions | Bengaluru (2nd title) |
| Most championships | Mohun Bagan (14 titles) |
| Motto | Where Pride Meets Passion |
Bengaluru were the last champions, having defeated Mohun Bagan 2–0 in the 2017 final.[2]
History
editIn 1977, the All India Football Federation started the Federation Cup as the first club based national tournament in the country. Inaugural champion of the competition was the ITI (Indian Telephone Industries) who defeated Mohun Bagan in the final.[3] In 2015, the All India Football Federation announced that the Federation Cup will be put on hold to avoid scheduling conflict with the Indian Super League and the I-League.[4] After the Asian Football Confederation mandated that a club must play at least 18 matches in the season, the AIFF decided to revive the tournament under new format.[5] On 19 February 2018, the AIFF fully abolished the competition and formed the Super Cup as a replacement. In July 2023, the AIFF has decided again to revive the competition, but later it was postponed.[6] On 2 March 2026, the AIFF released an RFP for commercial rights which included the Federation Cup, indicating a possible revival of the competition.[7][8]
Venues
editMatches during the Federation Cup were usually held at neutral venues around India. The final was also held in a neutral venue. From 2015, matches were played as two legged (home and away) knockout format.
Results
editFederation Cup finals
edit- a.e.t.: After extra time
- pen.: Score in penalty shootout
Finalists
edit| Club | Final Appearances |
Winner | Winning years | Runners-up | Runners-up years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohun Bagan | 20 | 14 | 1978*, 1980*, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2015–16 | 6 | 1977, 1983, 1985, 2004, 2010, 2016–17 |
| East Bengal | 16 | 8 | 1978*, 1980*, 1985, 1996, 2007, 2009-10, 2010, 2012 | 8 | 1984, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996–97, 1997, 1998, 2011 |
| Salgaocar | 7 | 4 | 1988, 1989, 1997, 2011 | 3 | 1987, 1990, 1994 |
| Dempo | 6 | 1 | 2004 | 5 | 1996#, 2001, 2008, 2012, 2014–15 |
| Mohammedan | 5 | 2 | 1983, 1984 | 3 | 1981, 1989, 2003 |
| Mahindra United | 5 | 2 | 2003, 2005 | 3 | 1991, 1993, 2007 |
| Sporting Goa | 3 | 0 | - | 3 | 2005, 2006, 2013–14 |
| Bengaluru | 2 | 2 | 2014–15, 2016–17 | 0 | - |
| JCT Mills | 2 | 2 | 1995, 1995-96 | 0 | - |
| Kerala Police | 2 | 2 | 1990, 1991[9] | 0 | - |
| Border Security Force | 2 | 1 | 1979 | 1 | 1988 |
| Indian Telephone Industries | 1 | 1 | 1977 | 0 | - |
| Churchill Brothers | 1 | 1 | 2013–14 | 0 | - |
| Shillong Lajong | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 2009 |
| Aizawl | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 2015–16 |
- * : Shared
- # : There were two federation cups in 1996
Overall top goalscorers
edit- As of 10 January 2015[10]
| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jose Ramirez Barreto |
27 |
| 2 |  Chima Okorie |
26* |
| 3 |  Bhaichung Bhutia |
25 |
| 4 | Chidi Edeh |
23 |
| 5 | Ranti Martins |
18 |
| 6 | I. M. Vijayan |
17 |
| Odafa Onyeka Okolie | ||
(Note. * Includes 7 goals scored in Eastern Zone Qualifiers at Sibsagar – 1990 Federation Cup)
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "AIFF Executive Committee inducts five new clubs into Hero I-League, Federation Cup restored". the-aiff.com.
- ↑ Solomon, Joseph (21 May 2017). "Bengaluru FC Crowned Champions of Hero Federation Cup". the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ↑ "List of Winners/Runners-Up of the Federation Cup". IndianFootball.de. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- ↑ "Why AIFF's decision to scrap the Fed Cup makes sense for Indian football". Firstpost. 24 April 2015. Archived from the original on 11 July 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ↑ "AIFF decides to bring back Federation Cup". The Times of India. 27 November 2015. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
- ↑ "AIFF Executive Committee inducts five new clubs into Hero I-League, Federation Cup restored". the-aiff.com.
- ↑ "REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR COMMERCIAL RIGHTS RELATING TO COMPETITIONS AND PROPERTIES OWNED BY THE ALL INDIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION" (PDF).
- ↑ https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/markets/isl-federation-cup-rights-genius-sports-leads-bids-with-rs-2129-crore-offer/ar-AA1Zym7G?gemSnapshotKey=GM858270A3-snapshot-1&uxmode=ruby
- ↑ Federation Cup. the-aiff.com (archived)
- ↑ "From the history book, roll of honour". the-aiff.com. All India Football Federation. 10 January 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2021.