On Wednesday, West Ham and Fiorentina will face off in the Europa Conference League final in Prague in an effort to add a long-awaited trophy to their collection.
Both clubs' European trophies have become true antiques by now as Fiorentina won the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup in 1961, while West Ham dominated the same competition in 1965.
Both sides, who failed to earn a spot in a European competition through their leagues, will be thrilled by the prospect of competing in the Europa League if they prevail in the Czech capital.
Did you read this?
West Ham, led by midfield engine Declan Rice, finished 14th in the Premiership after battling the threat of relegation for much of the season. They will be seeking their first major trophy since winning the FA Cup in 1980.
The last major victory came in 2001 when Fiorentina, who finished eighth in Serie A, won the Italian Cup.
Both teams have made it very clear they are determined to become the second name on the Conference League trophy following Roma, who won the maiden edition last year.
"This will be the pinnacle for a lot of players. It will certainly be the biggest game of my career," West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen told the club website.
"The main priority is to win the game… I want to be part of the squad that gives the fans that moment and that's what we're all striving to do," he added.
Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Italiano said the Viola wanted to "put the icing on the cake" in Prague following an "extraordinary season".
"Personally, I'm very happy to be in a final and to have the chance to lift a trophy," said Italiano, whose team lost the Italian Cup final to Inter Milan last month.
But he is aware that the East Londoners, who advanced to last year's Europa League semifinals, will be a tough nut to crack.
"Even if they haven't done very well in the Premier League, they are still a very dangerous team."
"We will need the utmost commitment. We will play like Fiorentina," Italiano said.
Apart from long-term injury absences like Fiorentina goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu and West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca, Italiano and West Ham manager David Moyes have nearly full squads at their disposal.
Three Czech athletes—Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal, and Antonin Barak—who play for Fiorentina, West Ham, and the Eden Arena in Prague—will have personal connections to the match.
Prior to moving abroad, all three of them competed for Slavia Prague at the Eden Arena, so the chance to return home has been greatly anticipated.
"This is a final and at home. It's a combination that beats everything," Soucek told the Czech news agency CTK, hailing the final as "the biggest game of my career".
"It's like a fairytale," added the 28-year-old midfielder, whose early career was at Slavia Prague.
West Ham will get the home side's dressing room, and more than 5 000 of the team's fans will occupy the home stands at the compact Eden venue, which has a total capacity of 18 000 for the game.
"I will feel at home and I only hope I will show it on the pitch," Soucek said.
In the heart of the city, Prague will set up fan zones with sizable screens for each team.
They will accommodate fans who will travel to the Czech Republic but do not have tickets, and serve as meeting points for those travelling to the stadium.
Hundreds of police will be deployed to prevent violence between supporters, following clashes between West Ham and Alkmaar fans in both legs of their semifinal.
-1732263645.jpeg)
