Next season’s Carabao Cup will see the introduction of corner flags with inbuilt camera phones as competition sponsor Carabao Energy Drink look to take fan engagement to the next level.
Following comprehensive negotiations with the EFL, the technology will be permitted from August 2019 in order to allow players to celebrate their goals – not only with fans inside the stadium but also with their millions of social media followers across the world.
The revolutionary plan will mean players in the competition will be able to follow in the footsteps of Mario Balotelli, who sent social media into meltdown last month when he went live on his Instagram account moments after scoring for Marseille against St Etienne in Ligue 1.
But the new Carabao Cup corner flags are primarily designed for fans, in order to give them access to high value content instantaneously, whether they are watching live or at home with a can of ice cold Carabao.
Carabao Chief Marketing Officer, John Luck commented: “The one thing players love as much as scoring goals is social media likes, so from the Wham Stadium in Accrington to Wembley we’re going to give players the chance to earn some extra likes and views by helping them celebrate after sticking one in the top bin.”
An EFL spokesman said: “Innovation remains at the heart of the EFL’s competition strategies and we are also constantly striving for new ways to enhance the experience for players on the pitch and supporters off it. We are delighted that Carabao Energy Drink is helping to drive the fan engagement agenda and have no doubt the new technology will set apart the Carabao Cup from many other cup competitions across the world.”