Ugly scenes as West Ham fans attacked ahead of Europa…

Ugly scenes as West Ham fans attacked ahead of Europa Conference League final with Fiorentina

West Ham fans were attacked by a group of Italians in Prague ahead of this evening's Europa Conference League final.

Supporters were targeted by a group of Fiorentina 'ultras' who used fireworks and chairs as weapons in disturbing pre-match scenes.

Czech police confirmed that 16 men had been apprehended in the aftermath of the attack.

The Hammers face Fiorentina as David Moyes' side look to win their first major trophy since 1980. West Ham edged past AZ Alkmaar 3-1 in a tense semi-final affair to book their place in the final against the Serie A side, who secured a dramatic 4-3 victory over Basel to reach this stage.

However, after trouble occurred in West Ham's second-leg trip to Alkmaar, there were fears that some more issues could occur against Fiorentina. Footage showed West Ham supporters being attacked outside a pub in the build-up to the game on Wednesday afternoon.

It led to fighting between the two sets of fans, and broken glass on the street. Bottles and smoke bombs also appeared to be thrown and police swarmed the area in an attempt to stop the trouble. As per Sky News, more than 30 people had been detained after violence broke out.

A West Ham fan, who did not want to be named, said "a large group" of Italian supporters attacked the Tek'ila Tek'ila bar in Rytirska Street. "About eight Italians walked past, swinging bands and chains," he told Sky News. "Five minutes later there was a big group that come down the road and attacked us," he added.

The fan also said: "Three of our mates (were injured). They've gone to hospital." He said one of his friends was "quite badly" injured with a "massive cut" on his head.

Another eyewitness told Sky News: "There were five to 10 Italian guys across the street. They had weapons, and [Italian] and English fans were attacking each-other. There were a lot of bombs, a lot of fireworks. There is so much glass. No-one was really hurt, apart from two to three English people."

As for the game itself, West Ham are looking to create more history - and David Moyes is looking forward to the test ahead to his players. He said: "I think, what does it mean to West Ham to be in a European final? I think if we said this at the start of the season, people wouldn’t have believed it.

"It’s a big achievement to get through to a European final. It’s not easy to get all the way through and we’ve been competitive. It’s a great achievement for all the players and the next part is to see if we can go on and win it."

Jarrod Bowen also previewed the game. He said: "This is massive. I've been here three years and, if you told me three years ago we'd be in a European final, I'd bite your hand off. We were disappointed last year but that's given us extra motivation this year. The fans are travelling out here and they're incredible. We want to win it for us, but mainly for the fans."

"In terms of Fiorentina, I'm sure there has been a lot of talk because it's a final," he added. "But we're focused on what we want to do and, until you get out on the pitch, you're never completely sure what to expect from each team. It's about managing that on the pitch as and when it happens."

Tomas Soucek, who returns to his native Czech Republic, also delivered his assessment on West Ham's achievement to reach a European final for the first time in 47 years. He said: "When I realised a year ago that the final was in Prague, for me it was like 'we need to go there'.

"We are here, in the Eden Arena in Prague, and I can connect my two teams who I love together. Tomorrow is the chance to lift the trophy here. For me, it would be so special."

READ NEXT:

Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts

Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here