...By Jack Sylva for TDPel Media.
West Ham United achieved a significant milestone by qualifying for a European cup final for the first time in 47 years.
They accomplished this feat by defeating AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League, although the celebratory atmosphere was nearly spoiled by unruly home fans.
In the first leg of the European Conference League semi-final tie, West Ham United emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over AZ Alkmaar at the London Stadium.
They continued their success in the second leg, stunning the Dutch club in front of their home fans to secure a place in their first European final since 1976 with a 3-1 aggregate victory.
This outcome demonstrated that West Ham had learned from past mistakes, as they displayed composure and determination to secure the victory.
It was a marked improvement from their elimination in the Europa League semi-finals over a year ago, when a lackluster performance against Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg cost them a place in the final.
The Europa Conference League final, scheduled for June 7 in Prague, will feature West Ham United against Fiorentina, who advanced to the final by overcoming Basel in the 129th minute.
If West Ham manages to clinch their first major trophy since 1980, they will secure a spot in the following season’s Europa League.
Currently placed 15th in the Premier League, this success would be a remarkable achievement for the club.
Unfortunately, the post-game celebration was marred by disturbing scenes caused by fans of the host team, AZ Alkmaar, at the AFAS Stadion.
Reports indicate that these unruly fans targeted the section of the stadium where the family members and friends of the West Ham United players were seated, disrupting the joyous occasion.
West Ham United fans intervened to prevent AZ Alkmaar fans from reaching the players’ families, resulting in a confrontation.
Following the match, West Ham’s coach, David Moyes, addressed the incident in an interview with BT Sport.
He expressed his concern, stating, “We’ll need to wait for the dust to settle to see what it is, but the biggest problem is that is the area where the players have all their families in, friends and family.
That is where the problem came, and a lot of players were getting angry because they couldn’t get to see if they were okay.
But look, I don’t know.
We’ll have to wait and ask the officials what really happened.”
While West Ham United can celebrate their remarkable achievement on the pitch, the disturbing fan behavior serves as a reminder of the need for proper security measures and respect for all individuals involved in the game.
