ACF FIORENTINA
UEFA Europa Conference League final, Eden Arena, Prague, Czechia, Wednesday 7 June 2023, 8pm BST (9pm CEST)
West Ham United will contest their first major European final in 47 years when they travel to Prague for the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League showpiece on Wednesday evening.
The Hammers have successfully come through 14 ties to reach Eden Arena – the Club’s first showpiece final since the 2006 FA Cup final.
Our opponents will be AC Fiorentina, the Italian Serie A side who capped their own 18-match Conference League run by coming from behind to beat Swiss outfit FC Basel in extra-time to reach the final.
Home to Vladimír Coufal and Tomáš Souček’s former club Slavia Prague, the 19,370-capacity Eden Arena was opened by former Liverpool forward Vladimír Šmicer in 2008 and staged the 2015 UEFA Super Cup between Chelsea and winners Bayern Munich.
Wednesday's winners will lift the 57.5cm tall trophy, which was won last season by Italian club AS Roma, and also qualify for next season’s UEFA Europa League group stage.
If West Ham prevail, we will lift our fifth major trophy, following the 1965 European Cup Winners’ Cup and FA Cup successes in 1964, 1975 and 1980.
Please do not travel to the stadium without a match ticket. You will not be able to access the area around the stadium and there will be nowhere to watch the match.
General information...
To make the most out of your trip to Prague, check out the dedicated official Event Guide on UEFA.com and on the UEFA Europa app for all detailed information to help with your planning.
Fan Meeting Point...
West Ham United supporters will be gathering at the Fan Meeting Point in Letná Park from 12noon for pre-match celebrations with live entertainment, food, drink and more.
The Fan Meeting Point will be open after the match to ensure all supporters make it back to the airport.
Matchday host Chris Scull will be joining to help count down to kick-off with plenty of entertainment to enjoy. DJ Tony Perry will be building the atmosphere with pre-match DJ sets to get you in the mood for the final, and lifelong West Ham fan Chesney Hawkes is taking to the stage for an afternoon performance filled with fan favourites, singalong songs and his biggest hits.
West Ham United's Supporter Services team will be on hand to assist you throughout the day.
How to get there…
Many optimistic West Ham United supporters booked their flights to Prague many weeks and months ago, hoping their team would successfully negotiate their way through the competition – and they have now been rewarded.
As a result, many flights to the Czech capital are now full and prices for those with remaining availability have risen.
The stadium is situated in the Vršovice district of Prague, in the south east of the city.
Public transport is the best way to get around on matchday and will be free for all ticket holders from 8am on Wednesday 7 June to 8am on Thursday 8 June. The following services are included:
- All DPP-operated buses, trams, and metro services
- Suburban trains within Zone P0 (only on matchday)
Simply show your mobile match ticket upon request by public transport staff.
From the Fan Meeting Point, take metro line A to Želivského. From there, it is a 20-minute (downhill) walk to Eden Arena.
A free shuttle bus service will also be available for West Ham supporters from the airport to the Fan Meeting Point on matchday.
Taxi travel is not recommended, but if this is your only option, rideshare services (Uber or Bolt) are more widely available than taxis.
Supporters with an organised travel package should head back to the Fan Meeting Point after the match to catch your coach back to the airport.
If your charter flight is scheduled to depart right after the match, please confirm with your tour operator that a coach from the stadium to the airport has been booked for you instead.
For full information on how to get to and from Eden Arena from Prague city centre, click here.
Accessiblity...
The public transport route from the Fan Meeting Point to Eden Arena involves a lot of walking once you get to metro station Strašnicka. From there, you can hop on tram lines 7 or 19 instead which are low-floor and wheelchair-accessible.
The Fan Meeting Point in Letná Park is generally accessible, but bear in mind that it is mostly on grass.
Where to stay…
Prague is very popular with tourists from across the world, and is therefore well-stocked with all types of accommodation. However, much of it has been booked by supporters of both clubs!
The best areas of the city in which to stay are Hradčany, the oldest neighbourhood, Nové Město (New Town) or Staré Město (Old Town) and Josefov.
What to do…
Prague is a historical city full of interesting attractions and things to do and see.
The most iconic of these are Pražský Hrad (Prague Castle), which is home to the city’s cathedral, royal palace and gardens, Karlův most (Charles Bridge), which dates from 1357 and Václavské naměstí (Wenceslas Square).
Staré Město (Old Town) is the original medieval hub of the city, while Malá Strana is a neighbourhood of twisting cobbled lanes, is home to the Czech parliament and is dominated by the church of Sv Mikuláš.
Of course, many will just want to enjoy food and drink, and there are a wide range of pubs and restaurants to sort most tastes and budgets.
What’s happened there before…
West Ham United have been to Prague twice previously.
The first occasion was in May 1956, when Ted Fenton’s Hammers played four matches during a tour of what was then Czechoslovakia. The first of them saw the Irons defeat a combined Spartak/Dukla team 2-1 at Spartak’s Letná Stadium, with John Smith and John Dick scoring. Fenton’s squad also visited Brno, Ostrava and Prešov.
The second was in December 1965, when Spartak provided the opposition in the European Cup Winners’ Cup second round.
John Bond and Alan Sealey had put the Londoners in control at the Boleyn Ground, before John Sissons made it 3-0 on aggregate 14 minutes into the second leg in Prague (pictured). Two second-half goals from striker Ivan Mráz set up a nervous final few minutes, but Ron Greenwood’s side won through and went on to win the trophy.
