This year's EFL Cup draw will take place in another weird location 🤔 | OneFootball

If the organisers of the Carabao Cup are on a mission to make it football’s most esoteric competition, they’re doing an excellent job.

In the 2017/18 season, the draw for the first round of what is traditionally known as the League Cup was held in Bangkok and marred by technical issues which resulted in incorrect ties being displayed on the screen.

The third round draw that year took place in Beijing at 4.15am UK time and was also a shambles, before the planned live stream of the quarter-final draw failed completely and ultimately had to be replaced by a pre-recorded video.

The first round draw last season was, naturally, held in Vietnam but thankfully it passed without any major gaffes and it’s been pretty much smooth sailing for the Carabao Cup ever since.

And this year, the organisers are taking things right back to basics by hosting the draw for the first round of the competition at a supermarket in north London.

That’s right, the 70 first round balls will this year be yanked out of a hat by John Barnes and Ray Parlour live from Morrisons, Colindale at 7pm on Thursday 20 June.

Because why the hell not?

And who else but Arsenal legend Parlour to sum up what the Carabao Cup is all about?

“I always enjoy watching the Carabao Cup so it’s great to be involved in the Round One draw,” says the Romford Pele.

“Hosting the draw in a supermarket as fans go about their daily lives provides them with a great opportunity to engage with the competition and I can’t wait to see who will be crowned Carabao Cup winners this season.”

All first round ties will take place the week commencing 12 August, but holders Manchester City and the other Premier League clubs competing in European competitions won’t join the party until round three.

The draw for that will probably take place on Mars or something.