West Ham bags first European title since 1965

• West Ham beat Fiorentina 2-1 on Wednesday night to win their first major continental title since the 1965 European Cup Winners’ Cup
• The victory over the Serie A side seals a spot for West Ham in next season’s Europa League group stages

West Ham beat Fiorentina 2-1 on Wednesday night to win their first major continental title since the 1965 European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Jarrod Bowen struck in the 90th minute to win the Europa Conference League for West Ham in Prague. The final seemed to be heading for extra time after Said Benrahma’s 62nd minute goal was cancelled out by Giacomo Bonaventura five minutes later.

West Ham beat Fiorentina to secure first major European trophy triumph since 1965. Photo/ Eurosport.

The victory over the Serie A side seals a spot for West Ham in next season’s Europa League group stages. The future of manager David Moyes also seems more secure, thanks to the trophy win. West Ham finished 14th in the Premier League this season.

Speaking after his side beat Fiorentina to end its 58-year wait for major silverware, West Ham manager David Moyes described the victory as another step on the road of continued progress.

“This is fantastic. I have had a long career in football and you don’t get many moments like this. These sorts of moments as managers don’t come around often. This is a great moment for us. It is a brilliant club in the East End of London that does wonderful work in the community. It is a great family club. It is getting better and stronger. This is another step on the road of continued progress.” BBC Sports quotes David Moyes.

How West Ham Beat Fiorentina 

Victory looked unlikely at times for West Ham during a one-sided first half at Fortuna Arena in Prague. But in the ‘golden city’, it was golden boy Declan Rice who the West Ham fans had their hopes in. The midfielder, who could have played his last game for the Hammers, was all over the pitch as he aimed at emulating Bobby Moore by captaining West Ham to glory.

Rice came close to opening the scoring for West Ham from the edge of the box but he fired just wide. Luka Jovic had a shot blocked at source in the box and thought he had opened the scoring for Fiorentina through a diving header. However, his attempt was quickly ruled out for offside.

There was an incident in the first half when Cristiano Biraghi was left bloodied after being hit by a plastic cup thrown from the West Ham end.

Cristiano Biraghi was hit by an object in the first half. Photo/ SuperSport.

After bravely toiling at the start of the second half, West Ham were awarded a penalty when Cristiano Biraghi handled the ball in the box. Said Benrahma belted his penalty into the top right corner, giving West Ham fans a reason to celebrate.

But West Ham’s celebrations lasted only five minutes as Fiorentina equalized through Giacomo Bonaventura. The momentum of both sides drained away and it looked like the game would be settled in extra time when Jarrod Bowen struck the winning goal for West Ham.