Carabao Cup fans fume as ‘ridiculous’ third-round rule is announced

The Carabao Cup has faced backlash after a recent announcement regarding the upcoming third-round draw, which takes place tonight, Wednesday, August 26. 

The second round got underway on Tuesday, with a host of clubs booking their places in the next stage of the knockout tournament, including Leeds United, who beat Nottingham Forest 2-0, just days after beating them at the City Ground in the Premier League.

EFL releases controversial new plan

With the season not long started, controversy around fixture pile-up has already reared its ugly head, following the EFL’s update on teams entering the third round. 

As is usual, sides playing in Europe don’t enter the competition until the third round, with Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, AFC Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Sunderland all kicking off their League Cup campaigns in the next round. 

In their statement, the EFL said: “As a result of the expanded European competition calendar, and the associated fixture clashes it presents, the EFL will again be required to implement additional conditions for the Carabao Cup Round Three draw.

“Carabao Cup Round Three fixtures will take place across two weeks (week beginning 7 and 14 September), with fixtures in the UEFA Champions League (week beginning 7 September) and UEFA Europa League (week beginning 14 September) also scheduled during this period,” the post read.

It concluded: “As UEFA competition fixtures cannot be rescheduled, and to enable the Carabao Cup to proceed within its agreed schedule without disrupting other League or domestic cup fixtures, the additional conditions will ensure that the eight Clubs participating in the Champions League or Europa League cannot meet each other in Round Three of the Carabao Cup.”

EFL faces backlash from fans over ‘ridiculous’ new rule

With allowances being made for those competing in European competitions, fans from other clubs took exception. 

One X user commented: “How about teams in European competitions don’t play in Carabao Cup? Would give chances for other teams to qualify and would also reduce the games played by said clubs who love to moan about how many games they play.”

Another argued: “Why not have the carabao cup for all teams NOT in Europe so we don’t have to pussy foot around them. Should have happened years ago and there’d be a load of new winners every year and a lot more teams taking it seriously.”

A third said: “As I have always said any team in Europe take out of the league cup will have a different winner every year and a route to Europe for teams who normally wouldn’t make it”

The arguments come after the League Cup has become somewhat of a closed shop in recent seasons, with their only being four different winners of the competition in the last 10 instalments.

In the last decade, Man City have dominated with six titles, followed by Man U and Liverpool with two apiece, and Newcastle United with one — the Magpies’ first trophy in over 70 years.