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In association football a League Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in the top national league (some may include teams from immediately inferior divisions, as evidence by the Football League Cup). This marks the difference from the primary national cups, which are generally also open to teams from lower leagues, often as far down as regional amateur leagues.

League cups were generally introduced after the Second World War - for example, the Scottish League Cup, which started in 1946 - although in other countries, they were created following a rise in the number of floodlit stadiums, allowing regular midweek matches.

In certain countries, the League Cup had, or in some cases still has, group stages in the early stages. These often opened the season, before the league.

[edit] List of League Cups

• Football League Cup (England)
• Premier League Cup (England, for women)
• Finnish League Cup (Finland)
• Coupe de la Ligue (France)
• DFB-Ligapokal (Germany)
• Danish League Cup (Denmark, defunct)
• Greek League Cup (Greece, defunct)
• Hong Kong League Cup (Hong Kong)
• Deildabikar (Iceland)
• Toto Cup (Israel)
• K-League Cup (South Korea)
• J. League Cup (Japan)
• Irish Football League Cup (Northern Ireland)
• Portuguese League Cup (Portugal)
• League of Ireland Cup (Republic of Ireland)
• Scottish League Cup (Scotland)
• Singapore League Cup (Singapore)
• Telkom Knockout (South Africa)
• Copa de la Liga (Spain, defunct)
• Trinidad and Tobago FCB Cup (Trinidad and Tobago)
• Tunisia Coupe de la Ligue Professionel (Tunisia, defunct)
• USSR Federation Cup (USSR, defunct)
• Cupa Ligii (Romania, defunct)
• Russian Premier League Cup (Russia, defunct)
• Welsh League Cup (Wales)
• Ekstraklasa Cup (Poland)
• Belgian League Cup (Belgium, defunct)