The English Football League has confirmed the EFL Cup semi-finals will continue to be played over two legs next season.
The EFL Cup semi-finals have been played over two legs since the competition’s inception in 1960-61, though some Premier League managers have called for the format to change in response to fixture congestion.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has previously said the competition should follow the FA Cup’s lead and complete the final-four ties over one match.
Those concerns are unlikely to go away any time soon, with clubs competing in the Champions League guaranteed to play at least two additional matches per season when Europe’s premier club competition implements format changes from 2024-25.
Read our other football news stories here:
Maddison returns to training in major boost for Tottenham
Former Tottenham owner Lewis pleads guilty to securities fraud
Ivory Coast sack coach Gasset despite retaining AFCON hope
However, EFL chief executive Trevor Birch says the two-legged semi-finals continue to provide a valuable source of revenue and has stressed that any future changes must be accompanied by greater financial support from Premier League clubs.
“Whilst the fixture calendar remains a shared asset across the EFL, Premier League and Football Association, additional pressures from revamped European competitions means that scheduling across the season remains challenging and complex. It requires a whole game response to find a solution,” Birch said.
“As it stands there is no agreement in place to make any changes to the EFL Cup’s two-legged semi-final format, which continues to provide significant financial benefit to EFL clubs.
“The league remains committed to a review of the calendar, but any significant changes cannot be made unilaterally.
“[They] would need to come with significant levels of compensation and be adopted as part of any new distribution deal with the Premier League and its clubs.”
Chelsea progressed from this season’s first completed semi-final tie on Tuesday, routing Championship side Middlesbrough 6-1 at Stamford Bridge to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit.
???? @ChelseaFC are going to WEMBLEY!#EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/C9l7OKCCKf
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) January 23, 2024
