A post from UEFA has made something very clear to Chelsea about West Ham – but it will fill the Hammers with as much pain as pride.
During their memorable three consecutive years in Europe, West Ham were regulars in UEFA’s bad books.
The Hammers were fined on multiple occasions over fan disturbances and even had supporters banned from attending their first away game of the Europa League campaign last season.
But UEFA’s Europa Conference League competition provided West Ham with some of their best memories of the last 45 years.
Now Chelsea are looking to follow in West Ham’s footsteps – and could even face the same opponent, Fiorentina, in the final.
The Hammers won the Europa Conference League – since renamed to just The Conference League – either side of runs to the Europa League semi and quarter-finals.
Chelsea on course to take shine off West Ham’s trophy glory
Beating Fiorentina 2-1 in the dying moments of the final will never be forgotten in east London.
Premier League rivals Chelsea have had plenty of European success over the years, winning the Champions League, Europa League, Cup Winners’ Cup and Super Cup twice each.
Now the Blues are on course to complete the set by emulating London rivals West Ham and winning the Conference League.
It will be a bitter pill to swallow for Hammers fans, who have been revelling in a long overdue day in the sun off the back of the achievement nearly two years ago.
In fact a nightmarish end to an already dismal season beckons for West Ham.
Semi-finalists Chelsea look favourites to take their Conference League glory while Spurs are in with a chance of winning the Europa League and Arsenal the Champions League.
Chelsea, historically West Ham’s biggest rivals after Millwall and Tottenham, are on course to put their name on the Hammers’ Europa Conference League trophy.
Worse still they could be set to do so with their reserve team no less.
Chelsea look a shoo-in to make the final as they face Djurgården next.
In the final itself they will come up against either Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis – Enzo Maresca was assistant coach under the Chilean at West Ham – or Fiorentina.
But they won’t match West Ham’s achievement.
UEFA sends clear message to Chelsea about West Ham
As UEFA has pointedly reminded everyone ahead of the semi-finals next week.
This time last year West Ham were gearing up for a tough two-legged semi-final against AZ Alkmaar.
After winning the first leg 2-1 at home, the Hammers finished the job with a wonderful killer solo goal from Pablo Fornals in Holland.
AZ hooligans tried to attack the friends and family of West Ham’s players in the stand. But the Angel of Alkmaar was born as a number of Hammers supporters fought off the assault.
That are memories that will last a lifetime. And so too will West Ham’s remarkable record en route to winning their only major trophy of the last 45 years.
UEFA took to social media to remind Chelsea, the other Conference League semi-finalists and the football world at large about it too.
West Ham went unbeaten through the entire competition winning 12 of their 13 games and drawing the other.
In fact West Ham actually won 14 of 15 games on their way to lifting the Conference League having come through a two-legged play-off to qualify.
UEFA took to social media with a picture of West Ham captain Jarron Bowen lifting the trophy alongside West Ham’s list of results, saying: “13 games, 12 wins and 1 draw. Top. West Ham remain only team to win the Conference League unbeaten.”
Chelsea have lost in the competition and so cannot truly emulate West Ham’s achievement.
Unbeaten triumph a source of pride and pain for Hammers
It’s a small crumb of comfort for Hammers fans as they watch the remainder of the season from behind the couch.
While UEFA’s post will be a great source of pride for the Hammers, it is also painful.
How the club has been allowed to regress so badly in less than two years since the Conference League win is as negligible as it is unforgiveable.
From winning a European trophy unbeaten to the club’s current state.
That trophy win should have been the platform for the club to go on to even bigger and better things.
Instead West Ham have dropped from the top six after wins over Arsenal and Man United at the turn of the year in 2023 to 17th and facing another overhaul this summer.
Now they have a former Chelsea managerial flop in Graham Potter with everything to prove by getting the club back on track.
Having West Ham fighting for another European adventure next season would certainly go some way to doing that.
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