New Name For Cup

Last updated : 28 November 2016 By Footy Mad - Editor

The EFL Cup will be known as the Carabao Cup after a new sponsorship agreement was reached for the start of next season.

The EFL announced on Friday that the Thai energy drinks firm would become the competition's new title sponsor from June 2017.

The competition has been without a sponsor since the deal with credit card service company Capital One ended at the conclusion of last season.

The deal with Carabao runs until 2020, the EFL said.

Carabao is already the shirt sponsor of Reading as it seeks to strengthen its brand in the UK and other markets.

The value of the agreement was not confirmed, but EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey did that say that it "meets with the valuation" placed on the EFL Cup by the League.

Harvey said: "This is a significant agreement for both parties and I'm delighted to welcome Carabao on board as an official title sponsor of the EFL Cup.

"We are equally as pleased that in a tough and competitive sponsorship marketplace we have managed to agree on a deal that meets with our valuation of the property.

"We opted to take our time in bringing this matter to a successful conclusion and feel we have now secured the best outcome possible for the EFL and the clubs we represent."

Pairoj Piempongsant, chairman of Intercarabao, stated: "The EFL Cup embodies the very essence of British football consciousness. All 92 clubs in the country competing in the first major cup competition of the season, culminating in the final at Wembley.

"The EFL Carabao partnership represents a unique platform to expand the Carabao brand nationally and globally; and thus leveraging the universal 'fighting spirit' of football with a truly powerful global platform that will bring new awareness to the EFL internationally, while also establishing Carabao as a major player in the global energy drinks market."

The competition first took on a sponsor when an agreement was reached with the Milk Marketing Board for it to be called the Milk Cup between 1981-82 and 1985-86. It has subsequently been sponsored by Littlewoods, Rumbelows, Coca-Cola, Worthington, Carling and most recently Capital One.