1969–70 KNVB Cup

The 1969–70 KNVB Cup was the 53rd edition of the Dutch national football annual knockout tournament for the KNVB Cup. It began on 19 October 1969 and ended with the final on 27 May 1970.

Eventual champions Ajax lost to AZ '67 in the Third Round of the competition, however were placed into the Quarter Final as lucky losers.^[1][2] The lucky loser rule had been in use for multiple years due to the KNVB Cup only allowing professional clubs to enter which sometimes produced irregular numbers, but was immediately abolished due to the backlash.^[3]

Defending champions Feyenoord lost in the Second Round to GVAV-Rapiditas. Since winners Ajax were also champions of the 1969-70 Eredivisie so entered the 1970–71 European Cup, runners-up PSV Eindhoven qualified for the 1970–71 European Cup Winners' Cup (they would reach the semi finals).

There were 53 teams competing in the KNVB Cup, with holders Feyenoord receiving a bye into the Second Round. The matches of the first round were played on 19 August 1969. Of the Eredivisie sides in the First Round, three were eliminated: SV SVV, NEC Nijmegen, and Holland Sport.

A fter being given a bye to the second round, reigning champions Feyenoord were defeated by GVAV-Rapiditas. AGOVV got a bye to the Third Round.

There were only an irregular 14 teams in the Third Round, meaning to make up 8 teams for the Quarter Finals, one losing team would be selected as lucky loser to advance. This would be Ajax. Out of the 14 teams, 11 were in the Eredivisie, 2 were in the Eerste Divisie, and 1 was in the Tweede Divisie: AGOVV, who had received a bye in the Second Round. Three of the seven matches would be determined by penalties.

Out of the 8 remaining teams, 7 were from the Eredivisie, while Elinkwijk was the only team remaining from the second tier. The Quarter Finals took place on 22 April.

All clubs that took part in the Semi Finals were in the Eredivisie. The Semi Finals, as usual, took place in neutral stadiums, although Ajax ended up playing in Amsterdam in the Olympic Stadium, which they used as their home ground for European matches. Ajax and PSV Eindhoven advanced to the final.

14 May

Ajax	4–0[4]	FC Twente
Johan Cruyff 25, 70' Dick van Dijk 33' Tom Søndergaard 79'

Olympic Stadium

Attendance: 10,893

14 May

PSV Eindhoven	1–0	GVAV-Rapiditas
Willy van der Kuijlen 14'

Goffertstadion

Attendance: 10,000

The 1970 KNVB Cup final took place between Ajax and PSV Eindhoven on 27 May 1970. The match took place at a neutral ground, De Vliert in 's-Hertogenbosch, with an attendance of 30,000. The goals for Ajax came from Piet Keizer and Johan Cruyff. The final took place after Ajax won the 1969–70 Eredivisie, and this was their 5th Cup title.^[5] As Ajax had already won the title, PSV qualified for the 1970–71 European Cup Winners' Cup.

27 May 1965

Ajax	2 – 0[6]	PSV Eindhoven
Keizer 22' Cruyff 69'

De Vliert, 's-Hertogenbosch

Attendance: 30,000

• Voetbal Archieven, KNVB Beker 1969/70