The EFL Cup England is an important tournament in the English football calendar. Held every year, this tournament attracts the attention of many football fans with exciting and dramatic matches. In this article, SEA Games 2019 will learn about the EFL Cup England football tournament, from its history to the competition format and the latest information about the 2023-2024 season.
What is the EFL Cup England?
EFL Cup (English Football League Cup) also known as Carabao Cup is an annual football tournament held in England. This competition includes football clubs from divisions below the Premier League, including the Championship, League One and League Two. The name EFL Cup England comes from the English Football League – the English Football Association, the organization that manages football tournaments in England.
The tournament was established in 1960 and has had many different names before being changed to the EFL Cup in 2016. During its development, this tournament has had many changes in competition format and calculation. points, however the goal is still to find the best team to be crowned champion.
History of formation and development of the EFL Cup England football tournament
As mentioned, the EFL Cup England football tournament was established in 1960 under the name League Cup. Initially, the tournament was only for clubs in the lower division of the Premier League, but since 1992, Premier League teams have also been able to participate.
From 1981 to 1986, the tournament was renamed Milk Cup because the sponsor was milk production company Milk Marketing Board. After that, the next names were Littlewoods Challenge Cup (1986-1990) and Rumbelows Cup (1990-1992). From 1992 to 2016, the tournament was known as the Capital One Cup due to the sponsor’s name, Capital One bank.
However, since 2016, the tournament has officially been renamed EFL Cup after the English Football Association signed a sponsorship contract with beverage production company Carabao. From then on, the tournament became known as the Carabao Cup or EFL Cup.
EFL Cup England football tournament format
The competition format of the EFL Cup England football tournament changes each season. However, basically, this tournament is divided into 7 rounds, including qualifying rounds, rounds 1 to 5 and semi-finals. In particular, the qualifying round is only for clubs in the lower division than the Premier League.
Premier League teams will start participating from round 1 and will face teams in lower divisions. Matches in this tournament are held in a knockout format, meaning the winning team will advance to the next round and the losing team will be eliminated. In case the two teams are tied after 90 minutes of play, there will be extra time and penalty shootouts to determine the winner.
From round 3, Premier League teams will begin to meet each other and is also when big teams like Manchester United, Arsenal or Liverpool join the tournament. However, due to the overloaded schedule of Premier League teams, many teams have fielded reserve squads in EFL Cup matches.
EFL Cup England football tournament schedule for the 2023-2024 season
> See more: What is the National League England football tournament?
Currently, the schedule for the 2023-2024 season of the EFL Cup England football tournament has not yet been announced. However, the tournament is expected to start in August and end in February next year. Matches will be held on weekdays, except Saturday and Sunday.
The tournament’s qualifying round is expected to take place from August to September, rounds 1 to 4 will take place from September to December and the semi-finals will take place in January. The final is expected to be held on February at Wembley Stadium.
The teams that have won the EFL Cup England football tournament the most
Up to now, a total of 24 teams have been crowned champions of the EFL Cup England football tournament. However, only 7 teams have won 3 times or more.
Manchester United, Aston Villa and Chelsea are the most successful teams in the history of this tournament with 5 championship titles. Liverpool and Manchester City have also won four titles, while Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest have both won three titles.
The players who scored the most goals in the EFL Cup England football tournament
Throughout the history of the EFL Cup football tournament, there are many players who have left their mark with golden goals. However, only 3 players have scored more than 50 goals in this tournament.
Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is the top scorer with 52 goals. He is followed by Alan Shearer (49 goals) and Andy Cole (43 goals).
The most successful coaches in the EFL Cup England football tournament
Among the coaches who have led teams to win the EFL Cup England, Sir Alex Ferguson is the most successful with 4 championships with Manchester United. He is followed by Brian Clough and Jose Mourinho with three wins each.
What does the EFL Cup England football tournament mean?
The EFL Cup England football tournament is not only a playground for teams in the lower division than the Premier League, but also an opportunity for young talents of big teams to play and assert themselves. Many young players have had the opportunity to shine in this tournament and have since been called up to the official team.
In addition, the tournament is also an opportunity for small teams to meet and challenge big teams. This is also an opportunity for small football teams to earn money from ticket sales and advertising, helping to improve the club’s finances.
Conclude
Above is basic information about the EFL Cup England football tournament, an important tournament in the English football calendar. From the formation history to the competition format and the latest information about the 2023-2024 season, hopefully this article has helped you better understand this tournament. Wishing the teams luck and success in the coming season.