Does the Carabao Cup winner qualify for the Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League?

The first domestic trophy of the English soccer season will be collected on Sunday by either Chelsea or Liverpool, who meet at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final (English League Cup final or EFL Cup final, if you prefer). And a place in Europe is on the line for the winners, although neither The Blues nor The Reds will be especially excited by it.

What are the rules regarding European qualification in the Carabao Cup?

Up until the 2019-20 season, the winner of the tournament, the third biggest in the English Game after the Premier League and the FA Cup, earned a spot in the Europa League, Europe’s second-level club comPetition. But following the creation of the Europa Conference League in the 2021-22, the Carabao Cup holder has instead entered into the third-tier tournament.

Or at least that’s the theory. The rules state that if the cup winner qualifies for Europe by other means, the Carabao/League/EFL Cup spot is transferred to the highest-ranked Premier League team that season that hasn’t already sealed a European spot.

And that’s exactly what has happened three seasons running, with Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Aston Villa, who finished seventh in the league, all featuring in the Europa Conference League because Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United, the last three cups winners, qualified for the Champions League.

Why might Chelsea not want to qualify for Europe?

With Liverpool challenging for the Premier League title and certain to finish in the top places, the same thing will happen again if Jürgen Klopp’s men pick up the trophy.

Chelsea, on the other hand, are toiling in 10th spot, which means they would seal a Europa League Conference place if they were to lift the trophy.

However, soccer finance expert Kieran Maguire told The Athletic that The Blues wouldn’t make any money from playing in the competition and could accept a European ban rather than have to immediately face UEFA’s Financial Fair Play restrictions, which are tighter than the Premier League’s. Another year out of Europe would give them a chance to get their books in order ahead of a potential return further down the line.