| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Netherlands | 
| Teams | 46 | 
| Defending champions | Feyenoord | 
| Final positions | |
| Champions | AZ'67 | 
| Runner-up | Ajax | 
The 63rd edition of the KNVB Cup started on 6 September 1980; the final was played on 28 May 1981: AZ from Alkmaar (at the time called AZ'67) beat Ajax 3–1 and won the cup for the second time. During the quarter and semi-finals, two-legged matches were held.
Teams
- All 18 participants of the Eredivisie 1980-81
- All 19 participants of the Eerste Divisie 1980-81
- 9 teams from lower (amateur) leagues
First round
The matches of the first round were played on September 6 and 7, 1980.
| Home team | Result | Away team | 
|---|---|---|
| Fortuna Sittard 1 | 2–0 (aet) | SC Cambuur 1 | 
| HFC Haarlem 1 | 3–0 | Vitesse Arnhem 1 | 
| sc Heerenveen 1 | 3–2 | ACV A | 
| ROHDA Raalte A | (p) 1-1 | FC Eindhoven 1 | 
| SC Veendam 1 | 2–0 | Helmond Sport 1 | 
| SVV 1 | 5–1 | DESK A | 
| FC Volendam 1 | 3–1 | VV Noordwijk A | 
| Home team | Result | Away team | 
|---|---|---|
| VV Caesar A | 2–5 (aet)[1] | SC Amersfoort 1 | 
| De Graafschap 1 | 2–3 | Telstar 1 | 
| DETO A | 2–5 | DS '79 1 | 
| FC Amsterdam 1 | 8–1[2] | VV Arnemuiden A | 
| FC Den Bosch 1 | 3–0 | VV Rheden A | 
| FC Vlaardingen 1 | 4–2 | XerxesDZB A | 
| FC VVV 1 | 3–2 (aet)[3] | SC Heracles 1 | 
1 Eerste Divisie; A Amateur teams
Second round
The matches of the second round were played on November 15 and 16, 1980. The Eredivisie clubs entered the tournament here.
| Home team | Result | Away team | 
|---|---|---|
| Go Ahead Eagles E | 9–3 | ROHDA Raalte | 
| HFC Haarlem | (p) 2-2 | NAC E | 
| MVV E | 3–0 | FC Amsterdam | 
| NEC E | 0–1 | FC Groningen E | 
| SC Amersfoort | 2–2 (p) | FC VVV | 
| Sparta E | 2–2 (p) | PEC Zwolle E | 
| Telstar | 2–2 (p) | Willem II E | 
| FC Wageningen E | 4–1 | FC Den Haag E | 
| Home team | Result | Away team | 
|---|---|---|
| Ajax E | 3–0 | SVV | 
| AZ'67 E | 4–1 | sc Heerenveen | 
| DS '79 | 0–1 | PSV E | 
| Excelsior E | 2–2 (p) | FC Vlaardingen | 
| FC Den Bosch | 2–4 | FC Utrecht E | 
| FC Twente E | 1–0 | FC Volendam | 
| Feyenoord E | 5–1 | SC Veendam | 
| Fortuna Sittard | 1–2 | Roda JC E | 
E Eredivisie
Round of 16
The matches of the round of 16 were played on January 24 and 25, 1981.
| Home team | Result | Away team | 
|---|---|---|
| Ajax | 5–1 | FC Twente | 
| AZ'67 | 5–2 | FC Vlaardingen | 
| FC Groningen | 3–2 | FC VVV | 
| Feyenoord | 3–3 (p) | HFC Haarlem | 
| Go Ahead Eagles | 3–1 | MVV | 
| PSV | 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 | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 | 3–4 | Ajax | 2–2 | 1–2 | 
Final
AZ also won the Dutch Eredivisie championship, thereby taking the double. They would participate in the European Cup, so finalists Ajax could play in the Cup Winners' Cup.
