1980–81 KNVB Cup
The 63rd edition of the KNVB Cup started on September 6, 1980. The final was played on May 28, 1981: AZ from Alkmaar (at the time called AZ'67) beat AFC Ajax 3-1 and won the cup for the second time. During the quarter and semi-finals, two-legged matches were held.
First Round
The matches of the first round were played on September 6 and 7, 1980.
| Home team | Result | Away team |
|---|---|---|
| Fortuna Sittard | 2-0 (aet) | Cambuur Leeuwarden |
| HFC Haarlem | 3-0 | Vitesse Arnhem |
| sc Heerenveen | 3-2 | ACV |
| ROHDA Raalte | (p) 1-1 | FC Eindhoven |
| BV Veendam | 2-0 | Helmond Sport |
| SVV | 5-1 | DESK |
| FC Volendam | 3-1 | VV Noordwijk |
| Home team | Result | Away team |
|---|---|---|
| VV Caesar | 2-5 (aet) [1] | SC Amersfoort |
| De Graafschap | 2-3 | Telstar |
| DETO | 2-5 | DS '79 |
| FC Amsterdam | 8-1 [2] | VV Arnemuiden |
| FC Den Bosch | 3-0 | VV Rheden |
| FC Vlaardingen | 4-2 | XerxesDZB |
| VVV Venlo | 3-2 (aet) [3] | Heracles Almelo |
Second Round
The matches of the second round were played on November 15 and 16, 1980. Eighteen professional clubs entered the tournament here.
| Home team | Result | Away team |
|---|---|---|
| Go Ahead Eagles | 9-3 | ROHDA Raalte |
| HFC Haarlem | (p) 2-2 | NAC Breda |
| MVV Maastricht | 3-0 | FC Amsterdam |
| NEC Nijmegen | 0-1 | FC Groningen |
| SC Amersfoort | 2-2 (p) | VVV Venlo |
| Sparta Rotterdam | 2-2 (p) | PEC Zwolle |
| Telstar | 2-2 (p) | Willem II |
| FC Wageningen | 4-1 | FC Den Haag |
| Home team | Result | Away team |
|---|---|---|
| AFC Ajax | 3-0 | SVV |
| AZ'67 | 4-1 | sc Heerenveen |
| DS '79 | 0-1 | PSV Eindhoven |
| Excelsior | 2-2 (p) | FC Vlaardingen |
| FC Den Bosch | 2-4 | FC Utrecht |
| FC Twente | 1-0 | FC Volendam |
| Feyenoord | 5-1 | BV Veendam |
| Fortuna Sittard | 1-2 | Roda JC |
Round of 16
The matches of the round of 16 were played on January 24 and 25, 1981.
| Home team | Result | Away team |
|---|---|---|
| AFC Ajax | 5-1 | FC Twente |
| AZ'67 | 5-2 | FC Vlaardingen |
| FC Groningen | 3-2 | VVV Venlo |
| Feyenoord | 3-3 (p) | HFC Haarlem |
| Go Ahead Eagles | 3-1 | MVV Maastricht |
| PSV Eindhoven | 4-0 | Roda JC |
| Willem II | 2-1 | FC Utrecht |
| FC Wageningen | 0-3 | PEC Zwolle (on Feb. 4) |
Quarter Finals
The quarter finals were played on February 25 and April 1, 1980.
| Team 1 | Aggregate | Team 2 | Match 1 | Match 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Ajax | 4-1 | FC Groningen | 3-0 | 1-1 |
| Go Ahead Eagles | 3-2 (aet) | PEC Zwolle | 1-1 | 2-1 (aet) |
| HFC Haarlem | 2-4 | AZ'67 | 1-1 | 1-3 |
| Willem II | 0-3 | PSV Eindhoven | 0-1 | 0-2 |
Semi-finals
The semi-finals were played on April 14 and May 12, 1980.
| Team 1 | Aggregate | Team 2 | Match 1 | Match 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go Ahead Eagles | 3-8 | AZ'67 | 2-2 | 1-6 |
| PSV Eindhoven | 3-4 | AFC Ajax | 2-2 | 1-2 |
Final
| AFC Ajax | 1-3 | AZ'67 |
| 1-1: Vanenburg | May 28 1981 Amsterdam |
0-1: Tol 1-2: Spelbos 1-3: Nygaard |
AZ also won the Dutch eredivisie 1980-81 championship, thereby taking the double. They would participate in the European Cup, so finalists Ajax could play in the Cup Winners' Cup.