West Ham United left annoyed after clash with UEFA over celebrations for win v Fiorentina
West Ham were left annoyed when UEFA denied their request to wear claret and blue for the award ceremony at the Europa Conference League final, according to the Daily Mail.
The publication notes that the Hammers asked permission to make the change before the match against Fiorentina.
The request was denied, with West Ham forced to celebrate in white after they won the match 2-1 on Wednesday (7 June).
“West Ham were locked in a kit kerfuffle with UEFA before this final,” according to the Daily Mail (page 75, 8 June).
“Mail Sport can reveal the club had asked European football’s governing body if the team could change into their claret and blue shirts for the trophy ceremony, should they beat Fiorentina at the Fortuna Arena – the home of Czech side Slavia Prague.
“But West Ham were annoyed when UEFA denied their request with little justifiable reason.”
No matter
Of course it would have been an iconic moment to see the famous claret and blue colours lifting the trophy, but at the end of the day, nobody with any ties to West Ham should be feeling annoyed after the events on Wednesday.
The Hammers were victorious on the night, and that is all that matters after a tough season in many ways for David Moyes and his players.
Fans of the club have been put through many miserable moments in recent months, but all has been forgotten about after the magical night in Prague.
UEFA can be forgiven for the dealings with the shirt colour, but one issue that they can be targeted for is the host stadium, with the Fortuna Arena definitely not big enough to host a game of this magnitude, particularly given the support of the clubs involved.
Of course UEFA were not to know which clubs would make the final, but still, lessons can be learned for future finals.