Is the Carabao Cup the League Cup? Many have asked this on Google as Manchester United and Nottingham Forest face off in the semi-final tonight.
Newcastle recorded a 1-0 win over Southampton in the other semi-final on Tuesday evening as the Magpies put one foot in the final at Wembley, with many expecting them to finish the job in front of their own fans at St James’ Park.
As we enter the latter stages of the Carabao Cup, some are confused about which competition this is due to the frequent sponsorship changes.
So, is the Carabao Cup the League Cup? Let’s take a look…
Is the Carabao Cup the League Cup?
Yes – the Carabao Cup is the League Cup, or the EFL Cup as it is also known.
The Thai energy drinks firm agreed a three-year deal to sponsor the League Cup back in November 2016, with their partnership officially starting from the 2017/18 campaign onwards.
Beforehand, the League Cup was known as the Capital One Cup.
Before that, it was sponsored by Carling, and was commonly known as the Carling Cup.
Carabao struck an agreement to extend their sponsorship deal by a further two years back in May 2019, and signed another extension in June 2021 to take their partnership with the EFL up to the end of the 2023/24 season, as per the EFL’s official website.
Manchester City have enjoyed a stronghold on the Carabao Cup since the energy drinks firm took over the naming rights to the competition, winning the trophy four times in the first four years of Carabao’s association.
Liverpool are the reigning champions after defeating Chelsea in a penalty shootout at Wembley last season.
However, there will be a different name on the trophy this season with both Manchester City and Liverpool already out of the competition, after the Citizens lost to Southampton, and the Reds lost to Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad Stadium.
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