İskoçya Lig Kupası

The Scottish League Cup is an annual knockout football competition for clubs in the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). Founded in 1946, it is the oldest national league cup currently in existence.

Typically, the Scottish League Cup season kicks off in July and concludes between December and February. Each year, over 40 teams compete, with the total increasing from 44 (the 42 SPFL clubs plus the Highland Football League and Lowland Football League champions) to 45 following the 2020-21 season.

The competition begins with a group stage, introduced in the 2016-17 season, moving away from a single-elimination format. It features eight groups of five teams, with the five Scottish clubs participating in European competitions (UEFA Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League) receiving byes to the knockout stage. Only the eight group winners and three best runners-up advance to the quarterfinals.

The knockout stage (quarterfinals, semifinals, and final) follows a traditional single-elimination format, with matches played over a single leg. In the case of a draw, extra time and penalty shootouts determine the winner. The final is traditionally held at the iconic Hampden Park.

Throughout its history, the Scottish League Cup has undergone several changes, alternating between single-elimination and group-stage formats. Additionally, the competition began with a regional approach to the group stage following its introduction in 2016-17 but abandoned that by 2022-23.

Celtic and Rangers, Scotland’s two biggest footballing institutions, have unsurprisingly dominated this competition, with the latter winning the inaugural title in 1946-1947. Interestingly, East Fife, a now semi-professional club, was the first team to win the Scottish League Cup more than once, lifting back-to-back titles following Rangers’ success in the maiden campaign.