Almeria vs Huesca

The Football League Cup or Carabao Cup as it was re-branded last year has been part of English football since its inception back in September of ’62.

It’s had many names over its history – including Milk Cup – but it’s generally known as ‘the cup that no-one wants’ and often regarded as an inconvenience by clubs who’d rather focus on winning trophies like Premier League titles or FA Cups.

But if you’re new here then let me tell you about some things you should know before diving into this season’s competition!

## History

The Football League Cup was introduced by Sir Stanley Rous when he became chairman of The Football Association (FA) back in April ’62 after serving just under four years as secretary general from ’58 until his resignation following controversially awarding Brazil their third World Cup title against England which caused much uproar amongst fans across Britain.

In response to growing interest among supporters wanting more games than just league fixtures every week – especially since most clubs played only twice monthly – Rous proposed creating another tournament called “The League Challenge Trophy” which would involve all member clubs playing against each other once over several weeks leading up until May when they would meet again at Wembley Stadium for an exciting final showdown!

## Format

The format has changed several times over its history:

* From its inception until ’64 it was split into two divisions based on geographical location with matches taking place across England only.
* From ’65 until ’69 there were four divisions again but now split according to league position instead of geography.
* From ’70 until ’73 there were five divisions with promotion/relegation between them depending on results.
* From ’74 onwards we’ve had six divisions with promotion/relegation between them depending on results.

## Rules

The rules have also changed over time:

* Originally only clubs from Division One could enter but now any club can participate provided they pay £50 entry fee per round which goes towards funding youth development programs within English football leagues nationwide!
* Each team plays three games per round; one home leg against another club followed by two away legs against different opponents before returning home again before starting another series of matches later down line again…
* …and so forth! That means if Manchester United wins all three games then they’ll go straight through without having played anyone else whereas if Chelsea loses all three then they’ll be knocked out immediately regardless how well they did previously!

## Qualifying Rounds

As mentioned earlier above everyone gets involved! But how does one qualify? Well here’s how:

### Round One Qualifiers

All teams enter automatically except those already qualified via previous competitions such as European Cups etc., these include:

– Champions League winners
– Europa League winners
– EFL Championship champions
– Scottish Premiership champions
– Welsh Premier League champions
– Northern Ireland Premiership champions
– Isle Of Man Premier Division champions

### Round Two Qualifiers

After round one qualifiers take place between August and September where clubs compete against each other based upon their league position from previous season(s). For example:

If Arsenal finished fourth last season then they’d play against Stoke City who finished fifth last season because Arsenal finished higher than Stoke City did last year!

If Manchester United finished seventh last season then they’d play against West Ham United who finished eighth last season because Manchester United finished higher than West Ham United did last year!

This process continues until all clubs have been paired up against another team based upon their league position from previous seasons(s).

### Round Three Qualifiers

After round two qualifiers take place between October and November where clubs compete against each other based upon their league position from previous season(s). For example:

If Liverpool finished second last season then they’d play against Newcastle United who finished third last season because Liverpool finished higher than Newcastle United did last year!

If Tottenham Hotspur finished sixth last season then they’d play against Brighton & Hove Albion who finished seventh last season because Tottenham Hotspur finished higher than Brighton & Hove Albion did last year!

This process continues until all clubs have been paired up against another team based upon their league position from previous seasons(s).

### Quarter-Final Draw

Once all rounds are completed then quarter-final draws take place where teams are drawn randomly into groups consisting four members each (e.g., group A would consist Arsenal vs Chelsea vs Liverpool vs Manchester City). The top two finishers from each group advance further into semi-finals while third-placed finishers drop down into lower tier competition called “League Two”.

## Semi-Finals And Final

Once quarter-finals are completed then semi-finals take place where remaining eight teams compete head-to-head matches over two legs home-and-away format similar style used during regular domestic cup competitions like FA Cups etc.. Winner advances further onto final stage held usually around mid-April every year at Wembley Stadium London England.

## Conclusion

So there you have it! A brief overview about everything related to this years’ edition including history format rules qualifying rounds semi-finals/finals etc.. If you’re interested learning more about specific aspects please feel free ask questions below comment section below article itself! Good luck everyone participating this seasons’ edition too!! 🙂