58 years after the coup against the Munich Lions, West Ham United have won an international title again. The London club around Bayern player Declan Rice and the German national defender Thilo Kehrer won the second edition of the Conference League on Wednesday with a 2-1 (0-0) win over the Italian club AC Florenz. West Ham thus secured a starting place for the upcoming Europa League after a disappointing season with fears of relegation.
The duel in Prague was overshadowed by riots between Italian and English fans – and cups thrown by West Ham supporters during the final. The ugly incident happened when Florence captain Cristiano Biraghi was thrown at with several drinking cups while he was about to take a corner. The Italian then bled from the back of his head, but was able to continue the game with a turban.
Even before the game, there had been violent clashes between fans of both camps. Florence supporters attacked Londoners in a city-centre bar, Czech police said. Three people were slightly injured, one of whom was taken to the hospital. In addition, officials have temporarily arrested 16 suspects.
Media reported that, among other things, chairs and tables were thrown. The final of the Europa Conference League took place under strong security measures. Police helicopters have been circling over the metropolis on the Moldau since the afternoon. Hundreds of officers were deployed, including mounted police officers. Two public viewing zones were set up for fans who could no longer get tickets for the game in the Eden Arena with around 18,000 seats – one for each of the two clubs.
