A historic moment was witnessed as West Ham United claimed their first European trophy in fifty eight years, defeating Fiorentina 2-1 in the Europa Conference League last. The late-game goal by Jarrod Bowen within the 90th minute brought an finish to the lengthy wait for the Hammers, who last gained silverware in the 1980 FA Cup.
The match happened in Prague on Wednesday, with Bowen’s goal following an excellent pass from Lucas Paqueta. This victory not only marks West Ham’s second-ever European title, but also secures them a spot within the Europa League subsequent season.
Bowen shared his excitement with BT Sport, saying, “I’m so happy. We haven’t had the most effective season, myself included, however to do it tonight, I’m over the moon.” West Ham’s European marketing campaign was indeed impressive, as they went unbeaten by way of qualifying and received 12 out of 13 games in the event.
West Ham coach David Moyes, whose job was under menace earlier in the season, expressed his pleasure on the victory: “I’ve had a protracted career in football and you don’t get many moments like this.” Moyes became the first Scottish coach to win a UEFA competition since 2008, when Alex Ferguson claimed his second Champions League title with Manchester United.
Fiorentina, who final won a European title in 1961, dominated possession within the first half and almost took the lead just before the break. However, a disallowed aim for offside and Bowen’s last-minute strike left the Italian side defeated. Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano said, “Tonight, I actually didn’t imagine it might finish like this.”
Unfortunately, the match was additionally marred by violence, with West Ham issuing an announcement condemning the behaviour of a few of their supporters. Piece of cake was injured by an object thrown from the group through the match, requiring a head strapping to proceed taking part in. Additionally, clashes between West Ham followers and riot police occurred in Prague after the match, as nicely as an earlier incident the place Czech police detained 16 Italian followers for attacking West Ham supporters..