West Ham and Fiorentina in the final

Who will succeed the winner of the C4 of Roma, who qualified on Thursday 18 May for the final of her older sister, the Europa League? We know the two finalists who will try to succeed the Roman club in Prague on 7 June. West Ham and Fiorentina eliminated AZ Alkmaar and FC Basel respectively in the Europa League semi-final second leg on Thursday 18 May.

West Ham too strong for Alkmaar

Winners in the first leg at home to AZ Alkmaar (2-1), indirectly contributing France to the UEFA index, the Hammers did their homework again in the second leg in the Netherlands on Friday. More dangerous throughout the match against the fearful Dutch, they first found the amount of Mathew Ryan through Lucas Paqueta (25th), before Pablo Fornals definitively killed Alkmaar’s hopes in stoppage time (1-0, 90th+4) .

Still unbeaten this season in C4, after making the most of the group stage (six wins) before eliminating AEK Larcana in the round of 16 (2-0, 4-0), then La Gantoise in the quarter-finals (1-1, 4- 1), West Ham continue their interesting European run, having reached the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2022. Beaten twice, the Londoners had fallen to eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt (1-2, 0-1). They will have the opportunity on 7 June to clinch their first European title since the 1999 Intertoto Cup.

Fiorentina snatches the final at the end of the suspense

The other semifinal between Basel and Fiorentina was much more undecided. Winners 2-1 in the first leg after turning everything around in 20 minutes, the balois were in favor of the second leg at home. Led by a double from Nicolas Gonzalez (35th, 72nd), the Swiss had reduced the score of Zeki Amdouni (55th). Same score in the first leg that sent the two teams into extra time. And while we seemed to be approaching penalties, Antonin Barak arrived to deliver the viola after extra time (120°+9), abnormally long due to an interruption of the match following the discomfort of a spectator in the stands.

The Florentine club, currently 8th in Serie A, qualifies for the fourth final in its history in the Champions Cup, the first since 1990. The last – and only – continental title for the Viola dates back to 1961, with crowning in the Champions Cup Cup Winners’ Cup (C2), which has since disappeared. Vincenzo Italiano’s men now have three weeks to prepare for their biggest game of the season against West Ham on 7 June.