On Wednesday, from 16, Fiorentina vs West Ham meet at the Eden Arena in Prague, for the grand final of the UEFA Europa Conference League. In both squads there will be Argentine presence: in the Italian team, Nicolás González will start, while in the English Manuel Lanzini will be among the substitutes.
It is worth mentioning that the viola cast has not won a major title since the 1960/61 European Cup Winners’ Cup (against Rangers). The Irons, on the other hand, have not had continental success since 1965, when they also beat Munich in the Cup Winners’ Cup 1860.
This will be the second definition of the third most important competition that takes place between European clubs. Last year, Roma beat Feyenoord 1-0 thanks to Nicolo Zaniolo’s goal at the Arena Kombëtare, located in Tirana, Albania.
How Fiorentina and West Ham reach the Conference League final
To get here, Fiorentina was second in the group behind Istanbul Basaksehir and had to play an extra round. There he eliminated Sporting de Braga (7-2), then Sivasspor (5-1), in the quarters to Lech Poznan (6-4) and in the semis to Basel (4-3), whom he won with a goal from Antonin Barak in the 130th minute. In Serie A he closed his participation with two victories (Roma and Sassuolo), but in eighth position with 56 points, that is, outside all European competition.
For its part, West Ham lived an irregular season: for a good part, it was struggling to achieve permanence in the Premier League, which finally came with six points margin. The English team started by winning their six games in the group stage of the Conference, so they entered directly into the second round: they started leaving AEK Larnaca (6-0), then eliminated Gent (5-2) and, finally, AZ Alkmaar (3-1).
The probable formation of Fiorentina vs. West Ham, for the final of the Conference League
Terracciano; Dodô, Quarta, Milenković, Biraghi; Mandragora, Amrabat; Nicolás González, Bonaventura, Ikoné; and Cabral. DT: Vincenzo Italiano.
The possible eleven of West Ham vs. Fiorentina, for the final of the Conference League
Areola; Kehrer, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell; Souček, Rice, Lucas Paquetá; Bowen, Antonio and Benrahma. DT: David Moyes.
Fiorentina vs. West Ham, for the Conference League final: where to watch live and match data
Time: 16
TV: ESPN and Star+
Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande
Stadium: Eden Arena (Prague)
The history between Fiorentina and West Ham
It is the first time that these two teams will meet, although it is worth mentioning that Fiorentina has won six of their twelve games against English teams (3D and 3D), including two of the three qualifiers.
For their part, the Hammers have only one previous meeting against Italian teams: against Palermo in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup, falling 4-0 on aggregate in the first round.
What the winner of the Conference League gets and what the trophy looks like
The UEFA Europa Conference League trophy is 57.5 cm tall and weighs 11 kg. It consists of 32 hexagonal spines, one for each team in the group stage of the competition, turning and curving from the base.
The winning team receives 40 gold medals. They also earn a place in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League group stage, if they have not qualified through their domestic competition.
How is the Eden Arena, home of the final of the Conference League
It is a football stadium located in Prague, Czech Republic. It was originally inaugurated on September 27, 1953, but had to be rebuilt and reopened on May 7, 2008 with a capacity for 21 thousand seated spectators.
It usually hosts home matches played by Slavia Prague. In addition, it already hosted the final of the European Super Cup 2013 between Bayern Munich and Chelsea that was taken in the penalties of the German team.
