The Thuringia Cup (German: Thüringenpokal) is an annual football competition in Thuringia, Germany. The Thuringia Football Association (German: Thüringer FuÃÂball-Verband, TFV) is its governing body. The cup winner qualifies for next season's DFB-Pokal. It is one of the 21 regional cup competitions in Germany.
All Thuringian clubs competing in 3. Liga, Regionalliga, NOFV-Oberliga Süd, Thüringenliga and Landesklasse Thüringen are eligible to play in the cup. Additionally the winners of the Bezirkspokal competitions qualify. Starting with the 2007âÂÂ08 season only one team per club may participate.
Thecompetition consists of 6 rounds played in a knock-out format. There is only one match per round, if scores are level after 90 minutes, there is a 2x15 minutes extra time followed by a penalty shootout, if necessary. Fixtures are determined by a draw. Clubs from 3rd Liga and several other teams (determined by a draw) get a first-round bye.
The finals:
Record winners are FC Carl Zeiss Jena, having won the title 15 times, followed by FC Rot-WeiÃÂ Erfurt (9).
The highest attendance record was set on 15 November 2005 in Erfurt. After rivals FC Rot-WeiàErfurt and FC Carl Zeiss Jena had only met in the final in the preceding years, they met in the quarter-final of the 2005âÂÂ06 season. Jena took home a 4âÂÂ2 penalty shootout win in front of 11,000 spectators.