Europa Conference final is real deal for West Ham and Fiorentina

The Europa Conference League might be very much UEFA's third club competition but for West Ham United and Fiorentina, whose solitary European successes came over half a century ago, Wednesday's showdown is being treated like a World Cup final.

Fiorentina, who lost to Real Madrid in the second European Cup final in 1957, won the first edition of the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup in 1961. They lost in the final the next season and lost to Juventus in a two-legged UEFA Cup final in 1990.

West Ham won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1965 for their only moment of continental glory. They lost in the 1976 final and the closest they have come since, excluding the 1999 Intertoto Cup victory, was last season's Europa League semi-finals.

Overcoming that agonising defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt has been a driving force for the east London club this season, particularly once their Premier League survival was assured.

"I do believe the players have got a great opportunity to be remembered by everyone at this club," West Ham manager David Moyes said when asked to compare the current side with the 1965 group that included Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, who helped England win the World Cup a year later.

"I don't know if we will ever get a statue as we are talking about three English legends as well as West Ham legends, but there is a new generation of young supporters developing in the East End of London. If we can give them something to believe in, that they can reach a final, win finals, it would be nothing but positive.

"We have got a really good group, strong international players, players who are hungry to succeed. I hope we can show that on Wednesday."

Forward Jarrod Bowen, who played in the semi-finals last season, said Wednesday's