2016–17 KNVB Cup
The 2016–17 KNVB Cup was the 99th season of the annual Dutch national football cup competition. It started on 6 September 2016 with the first of six rounds, and ended on 30 April 2017 with the final played at De Kuip in Rotterdam.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Netherlands |
| Venue(s) | De Kuip, Rotterdam |
| Dates | 6 September 2016 – 30 April 2017 |
| Teams | 64 (103 including preliminaries) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Vitesse (1st title) |
| Runner-up | AZ |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 63 |
| Goals scored | 152 (2.41 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Lewis Baker (5 goals) |
This edition was notable for several unicums, which included holding the first test in an official match of a top tier-domestic competition of the Video assistant referee-system. Anouar Kali held the distinction of becoming the first player to receive a red card after an intervention from the video referee in the first round-game between Ajax and his team Willem II.
The defending champions were Feyenoord from the Eredivisie, after beating FC Utrecht 2–1 in the final in the previous season on 24 April 2016.
Vitesse defeated AZ 2–0 in the final to win its first major trophy in the 124-year history of the club.
As winners, Vitesse automatically qualified for the group stage of the 2017–18 edition of the UEFA Europa League. They also participated in the 2017 edition of the Johan Cruyff Shield, the Dutch Supercup match at the start of next season between the Cup winner and the champions of the Eredivisie, Feyenoord.