Leeds United forced to play extra match in 2023/24 season after what West Ham United did
Leeds United must enter the Carabao Cup in round one following West Ham’s Europa Conference League victory, according to ESPN journalist Dale Johnson.
The Hammers defeated Italian outfit Fiorentina 2-1 in Prague on Wednesday (7 June) to lift the trophy.
And their victory has a knock-on effect on both Leeds and Leicester City in terms of next season’s Carabao Cup.
“West Ham win the Europa Conference League, so the Premier League will have eight teams in Europe next season (four UCL, three UEL, one UECL),” Johnson wrote on Twitter.
“It also means Leeds and Leicester must enter the Carabao Cup in R1 to balance the draw. They will not get a bye to R2 as in a normal season.”
Knock-on effect
The West Ham fans won’t forget the victory anytime soon, with the Hammers producing a superb display to end their 43-year wait for a major trophy.
But their success is bad news for Leeds, who have been dealt a blow before the season has even started due to the fact they now have to begin their League Cup journey earlier than normal.
The Whites had been used to joining the competition at the second stage, but that luxury has been snatched away from them.
It means that they could exit the tournament miserably in round one if things don’t go well on the pitch, but it will also likely see plenty of young players handed big-game experience.
So West Ham’s win isn’t all bad news for the Whites, but the West Yorkshire outfit will definitely want to avoid an embarrassing defeat in the first round of the competition next season.
In other Leeds United news, one former EFL manager has confirmed he wants to be the next Whites boss.