1981 Yugoslav Cup Final
| 33rd Marshal Tito Cup | |
| Country | Yugoslavia |
|---|---|
| Defending champions | Dinamo Zagreb |
| Champions | Velež (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Željezničar |
| Cup Winners' Cup | Velež |
| Matches played | 31 |
| Goals scored | 84 (2.71 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Vahid Halilhodžić (6) |
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← 1979–80
1981–82 →
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The 1980–81 Yugoslav Cup (Serbo-Croatian: Kup Jugoslavije); also known as "Marshal Tito Cup" (Kup Maršala Tita); was the 33rd season of the top association football knockout competition in Yugoslavia since its establishment in 1946.
The defending 1979–80 cup winners Dinamo Zagreb failed to retain the trophy as they were knocked out in the second round (i.e. round of 16) by Radnički Niš. Bosnian sides Velež from Mostar and Željezničar from Sarajevo reached the tournament final, in what would become the only cup final contested by two clubs from SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in the history of the competition which ran from 1946 to 1992.
In the final match, played at the neutral ground of Red Star Stadium in Belgrade, Velež, led by coach Miloš Milutinović, won the cup by beating Ivica Osim's Željezničar 3–2 with Vahid Halilhodžić scoring a brace and Dragan Okuka adding a decisive third goal in the 80th minute. This was Velež's first cup win in only their second appearance in the final, the first one taking place 23 years earlier in 1957–58.
Surprise of the tournament were third level sides Bregalnica Štip and Orijent (hailing from SR Macedonia and SR Croatia respectively) who sensationally managed to reach the quarter-finals. Bregalnica were eventually knocked out by cup winners Velež, while Orijent lost their quarter-final tie on penalties after holding the Montenegrin side Budućnost Titograd to a goalless draw. Budućnost themselves had an unusually good run, reaching the semi-finals and eliminating two of the Yugoslav "Big Four" clubs in the process, Hajduk Split and Red Star.
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