EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey has defended the decision to stage the draw for the third round of the EFL Cup at 4.15am BST.
The competition was rebranded the Carabao Cup, after the Thai energy drink firm that sponsored the tournament, going into the 2017-18 season.
The third-round draw took place in Beijing at 11.15am local time in an effort to boost the EFL's exposure in Asia, but the decision was met with some criticism.
"The EFL got their first major overseas sponsor in Carabao," Harvey told BBC Sport. "This was their brand launch in China, which is a key market for them.
"In fairness, the draw usually takes place immediately after the last game of the round so it is made somewhere between 10:20pm and 11pm at night - the majority of people at that stage have already gone to bed. Picking 4.15am, the net result for the vast majority of people was the same - to wake up and find the result of the draw.
"We have an ambition to build the brand of the EFL and our cup competitions and this was a part of it. Yes it was not popular with a few but the benefits should be felt by the majority going forward."
The 16 fixtures will take place in the week of September 18.
Giuseppe Labellarte
