The 2020 Danish Cup final was played on 1 July 2020 between SønderjyskE and AaB at Blue Water Arena, Esbjerg, a neutral ground.[1] The final was the culmination of the 2019–20 Danish Cup, the 66th season of the Sydbank Pokalen. Originally scheduled to be played in May, the final was delayed due to the COVID-19 shutdown through Europe.
| Event | 2019–20 Danish Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | 1 July 2020 | ||||||
| Venue | Blue Water Arena, Esbjerg | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Anders Jacobsen | ||||||
| Referee | Jørgen Daugberg Burchardt | ||||||
| Attendance | 1,750 | ||||||
| Weather | 17˚C/63˚F, Passing Clouds, 59% Humidity | ||||||
SønderjyskE won its first major championship of any kind in its 13-year history, beating AaB 2–0. It was SønderjyskE's first ever appearance in the Danish Cup final. AaB appeared in its 12th Pokalen final, having previously won the cup in 1966, 1970 and 2014, finishing as runners-up for the 9th time, adding 2020 to its second-place runs in 1967, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2009.
By virtue of its victory, SønderjyskE earns a place in at least the second qualifying round of the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League.[2]
Teams edit
| Team | Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners) |
|---|---|
| SønderjyskE | 0 |
| AaB | 11 (1966, 1967, 1970, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2009, 2014) |
Venue edit
In just third time in cup history, the final was played in a venue other than the Copenhagen Sports Park (1955–1990), or Parken Stadium (1993–2019). Blue Water Arena in Esbjerg hosted its first ever Sydbank Pokalen final in 2020. Odense Stadium hosted the 1991 final while the 1992 final was played at Aarhus Idrætspark.
Route to the final edit
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
| SønderjyskE | Round | AaB | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | Opponent | Result | |
| Bye | First round | Bye | ||
| Boldklubben Viktoria | 5–0 (A) | Second round | Nørresundby FB | 8–0 (A) |
| Hvidovre IF | 4–2 (A) | Third round | Vejgaard BK | 6–0 (A) |
| Brøndby IF | 1–0 (A) | Fourth round | HB Køge | 3–0 (A) |
| Randers FC | 2–1 (A) | Quarterfinals | F.C. København | 2–0 (H) |
| AC Horsens | 2–1 (H) | Semifinals | AGF | 3–2 (H) |
Effects of COVID-19 edit
In addition to the scheduling changes caused by the national COVID-19 shutdown, the final match was delayed for 14 minutes in the first half due to a group of fans not adhering to social distancing guidelines.[3]
The limited capacity crowd of 1,750 (10% of capacity) included an allotment of 725 tickets for each team's fan base, provided they sat 2 meters apart. Just before the 30-minute mark of the first half, a group of Ultras from AaB had grouped together and refused to move, despite pleas from the club's coaches and other fans. This group was subsequently ejected from the stadium and, after a 14-minute delay, the game resumed.
Match edit
Details edit
| SønderjyskE (1) | 2–0 | AaB (1) |
|---|---|---|
Eskesen  23'  65'Jónsson 32'Jacobsen  38' (Absalonsen) 56' (Bah)Bah 46'Jakobsen 49'Banggaard 75' |
Report | Okore 13' Christensen 21'Ross 71' |
          SønderjyskE
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    AaB
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Assistant referees: Heine Sørensen, Amir Sabic
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Match rules
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References edit
- ^ "News". DBU.dk. 12 June 2020.
- ^ "2020-21 Europa League Decisions". uefa.com. 17 June 2020.
- ^ "Danish Cup Final Delayed". bbc.com. 1 July 2020.
- ^ "Tournament Rules". DBU.dk. 1 June 2020.