2023 Europa Conference League Final

Lore & Background

The 2022–23 season was a white-knuckle ride for West Ham. A sluggish Premier League start had the club peering at relegation, but the Europa Conference League became their lifeline and obsession. Moyes' men cruised through the group stage, then dispatched AEK Larnaca, Gent, and AZ Alkmaar in the knockouts, each round laced with late drama. The semi-final against AZ Alkmaar saw the Hammers overturn a first-leg deficit and survive a nerve-shredding second leg in the Netherlands, where a pitch invasion by home fans was met by West Ham players shielding their families. That grit carried into the final. Against a formidable Fiorentina, West Ham fell behind early but leveled through a Said Benrahma penalty after a VAR check. The game hung in the balance until the 90th minute, when Lucas Paquetá threaded a perfect pass to Jarrod Bowen, who slotted home to detonate pandemonium among the 20,000 travelling fans. The final whistle sealed a 2-1 win, and captain Declan Rice lifted the trophy—his last act for the club before a summer transfer. The victory ended the long drought and punched a ticket to the following season's Europa League, vindicating Moyes' patient rebuild.

In Their Own Story

The air in Prague was thick with 43 years of longing. West Ham fans had carried the weight of near-misses and what-ifs for generations. Now, with the clock bleeding into the 90th minute and the score level, the moment arrived. Lucas Paquetá, the Brazilian playmaker, collected the ball in midfield and spotted Jarrod Bowen slicing a diagonal run behind Fiorentina's backline. The pass was a surgeon's cut—inch-perfect. Bowen took one touch to kill it, another to steady himself as the goalkeeper rushed out, then buried it into the net. For a split second, silence. Then a roar that shook the Fortuna Arena to its foundations. Grown men wept in the stands. On the pitch, Bowen vanished under a pile of teammates. This was the moment they had waited a lifetime for.

Reader's Guide

The 2022–23 season began with modest expectations for West Ham United. David Moyes, under pressure after a difficult previous campaign, had rebuilt the squad with signings like Paquetá and Emerson Palmieri. The Premier League form was a rollercoaster, but the Europa Conference League offered a different path—one paved with drama. The group stage was navigated comfortably, and the knockout rounds brought edge-of-the-seat moments: a 4-1 aggregate win over AEK Larnaca, a 4-1 thrashing of Gent, and a tense semi-final against AZ Alkmaar. The second leg in the Netherlands saw West Ham fall behind early, but goals from Pablo Fornals and Michail Antonio turned the tie around, setting the stage for the final in Prague.

Did You Know?

• Jarrod Bowen's winning goal in the 90th minute remains the latest winner in a UEFA Europa Conference League final.
• The victory ended West Ham's 43-year wait for a major trophy, their first since the 1980 FA Cup.
• Declan Rice captained the side to glory in his final match for the club before his record transfer to Arsenal.
• The final was played at the Fortuna Arena in Prague, the first time the venue hosted a major European club final.