The German League Cup was first staged in 1972/73 as the DFB-Ligapokal to bridge the extended summer break caused by the Olympic Games. After a long interruption, the competition returned in 1997 as a compact tournament before the Bundesliga season. It was run as the DFB-Ligapokal through 2004; from 2005 to 2007 it was organised by the DFL and officially marketed as the Premiere Ligapokal. The planned 2008 edition was cancelled because of scheduling problems and the competition was not revived. The Super Cup matches played in 2008 and 2009 do not belong to this title line.
| Season | German League Cup winner | Runner-up | Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Bayern Munich | Schalke 04 Result: 1-0. |  |
| 2006 | Werder Bremen | Bayern Munich Result: 2-0. | |
| 2005 | Schalke 04 | VfB Stuttgart Result: 1-0. | |
| 2004 DFB-Ligapokal | Bayern Munich | Werder Bremen Result: 3-2. | |
| 2003 DFB-Ligapokal | Hamburger SV | Borussia Dortmund Result: 4-2. | |
| 2002 DFB-Ligapokal | Hertha BSC Berlin | Schalke 04 Result: 4-1. | |
| 2001 DFB-Ligapokal | Hertha BSC Berlin | Schalke 04 Result: 4-1. | |
| 2000 DFB-Ligapokal | Bayern Munich | Hertha BSC Berlin Result: 5-1. | |
| 1999 DFB-Ligapokal | Bayern Munich | Werder Bremen Result: 2-1. | |
| 1998 DFB-Ligapokal | Bayern Munich | VfB Stuttgart Result: 4-0. | |
| 1997 DFB-Ligapokal | Bayern Munich | VfB Stuttgart Result: 2-0. | |
| 1972/73 DFB-Ligapokal Group and knockout tournament The 32 entrants first played in eight regional four-team groups with home and away matches. The eight group winners then contested two-legged quarter- and semi-finals, followed by a single-match final. | Hamburger SV | Borussia Mönchengladbach Final: 4-0. | DFB League Cup trophy 1972/73 – image not verified (Do you have a photo of this trophy? Please feel free to email us at info@fodb.cc.) |
