David Moyes' side won a first major European trophy since 1965 by beating La Viola 2-1 in Prague thanks to a 90th-minute winner from Jarrod Bowen
A week after Roma and Sevilla's toxic clash in Budapest came an even uglier spectacle in Prague, with West Ham beating Fiorentina in a Europa Conference League final completely overshadowed by the shocking behaviour of both clubs' fans.
There were arrests before the game, while Cristiano Biraghi was left bloodied during it, after being hit by a plastic beer cup thrown from the West Ham end. Just like last Wednesday's Europa League final, the fallout from this final will not be pretty.
At least the game in Hungary had produced the right victor, with the far more attack-minded Sevilla prevailing on penalties. In Czech Republic, West Ham came out on top despite being outplayed for the majority of the game.
Ultimately, though, Fiorentina could only have themselves to blame for failing to seal the deal. The handball decision that went against Biraghi may have been harsh, but they should have gone on to win the match after deservedly drawing level through Giacomo Bonaventura.
As it was, they conceded a late winner to Jarrod Bowen, who sparked wild scenes of celebrations in front of the same supporters who had split Biraghi open during the first half.
GOAL runs through the winners and losers from another European final that left a bitter taste in the mouth…
Getty ImagesWINNER: Jarrod Bowen
Just like West Ham, Bowen's not had a particularly good season overall. Let's not forget, he was being linked with Liverpool after an excellent 2021-22 campaign. There has been no such talk this summer. Yet Bowen remains a very dangerous winger, as he proved in such decisive fashion in Prague.
It was he who forced the penalty from which West Ham opened the scoring and, far more importantly, it was he who won the cup with a left-footed finish after the most perfectly timed run in behind the Fiorentina defence in the 90th minute.
So, it's been one hell of a finish to the season for Bowen. He had twins with Dani Dyer, the daughter of actor and die-hard West Ham fan, Danny, a few weeks ago and now he's delivered the Conference League trophy – fair to say he's just become a Hammers legend for life!
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Luka Jovic
There was a time when Luka Jovic looked like he was going to become one of the best strikers in the world. Real Madrid didn't buy him on a whim, after all. They paid €60m for the Serb in the summer of 2019, after Jovic had lit up the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt, and scored 27 times in all competitions.
Sad to say, he's now looking like something of a one-season wonder. We've seen flashes of quality since he brought his Madrid nightmare to an end in January of last year by joining Fiorentina, initially on loan. But it was actually a shock that he started the final ahead of Arthur Cabral, who has not only scored more goals this season, but also worked far harder.
In that context, it was not in the least bit surprising to see Jovic hauled off at half-time in Prague. He may have had a goal disallowed in injury-time at the end of the first half, but he had contributed absolutely nothing to the cause in the preceding 45 minutes and was one of the main reasons why Fiorentina had failed to turn their possession into actual chances.
Getty ImagesWINNER: David Moyes
The sight of David Moyes joyously jumping up and down on the pitch should have brought a smile to the face of every neutral. Seriously, who could begrudge the Scot his first European honour? Beppe Bergomi pointed out that "West Ham are not a team that really plays football" but Moyes won't care. He's been through so much – even just this season alone, with his job in doubt after a dreadful campaign in which West Ham flirted with relegation.
It's still by no means certain that he will still be at the helm next season, of course. He could yet be sacked, which is why he's presently being linked with the current vacancy at Celtic. However, no matter what happens next, he's now got a major trophy to his name.
Just under a decade after being humiliatingly sacked only seven months into his dream job at Manchester United, Moyes' reputation as a good manager has finally been restored.
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LOSER: Diving
Because there's so much on the line, finals bring out the best in players – but also the worst. They will essentially do whatever it takes to win, and while that can mean putting one's body on the line for the good of the team, it also often results in the most shameful displays of simulation you're ever likely to see.
Honestly, it seemed highly unlikely that anyone in Prague could 'better' Lorenzo Pellegrini's dive in Budapest last week, with the Roma ace throwing himself to the ground roughly 10 minutes after deliberately making contact with an opponent's outstretched leg. Therefore, enormous credit must go to Said Benrahma for a dive so poor, so obvious, so stupid (he was actually in a shooting position at the time) and so absurd, that it actually provoked laughter among the commentary team on .
It's a serious problem, though, and one that the game's lawmakers remain mystifyingly reluctant to resolve. Because the solution is still obvious: don't let them away with just booking; make simulation a red-card offence.
And if any offences are missed by referees during games – which often happens because most divers are far more skilled than Benrahma – the culprits should be hit with retrospective bans. At this stage, it's the only way to rid 'The Beautiful Game' of one of its ugliest issues.