EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE
Fiorentina vs West Ham United: where and when is the 2022-23 Europa Conference League final?
Fiorentina and West Ham will play in their first European final since the 1960s, with the Italians winning a hugely dramatic semi-final against Basel.
It’s not exactly been a vintage domestic season for Premier League side West Ham United but they will care little if they can pick up their first European trophy in 58 years at the end of it. The Londoners won the now-defunct Cup Winners’ Cup in 1964-65 and will finally have another chance to win the continent’s third club competition after defeating AZ Alkmaar in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.
The Hammers’ opponents in the final will be Fiorentina, who dramatically edged out Swiss side Basel in the last four. The men from Florence won 2-1 over 90 minutes to take the tie to extra time and looked for all the world as if penalties were about to follow. However, eight minutes of injury time were ended on at the end additional period and, you guessed it, Antonin Barak netted in the ninth, sensationally sending the Italians through to their first European final since 1961, when they also won the Cup Winners’ Cup.
Where and when will the Europa Conference League final take place in 2023?
The date to mark on your calendars is Wednesday 7 June 2023. The match will kick off at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12 noon PT.
The final will be held as Fortuna Arena in Prague in the Czech Republic, which has a capacity of 19,370. Opened in May 2008, the stadium is the home to Slavia Prague, the country’s second most successful club, and occasionally the Czech Republic national team, who have played a total of 17 matches there.
Several of the world’s biggest music artists have also performed in concert at Fortuna Arena, including Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, R.E.M. and Metallica.