West Ham’s party raged all night in Prague after their Europa Conference League triumph, and all the way back to London for a parade through the streets with striker Mikhail Antonio predicting it could last three weeks.
It all started on the pitch at the Fortuna Arena, where they danced with the trophy lifted by captain Declan Rice and celebrated with their families for over an hour after beating Fiorentina 2-1, thanks to a 90th-minute winner by Jarrod Bowen.
‘Incredible,’ said Antonio. “Nobody wanted to leave.” Once back in the changing rooms, they pumped up the music and cracked open the beers. “There was a little bit of everything,” Antonio said. ‘A little bit of dancing, a little bit of drinking, a little bit of something I can’t say! It was obviously a pleasure.’
Boss David Moyes took a moment to address his players and staff. “The gaffer said thank you, thank you for everything, thank you for the title,” smiled fullback Emerson Palmieri. Then Moyes unleashed one of his now infamous dad dances to the Proclaimers’ song about running 500 miles.
Heineken can raise in one hand, click the fingers of the other as he shuffles across the center of the room, his players clapping and singing along to the nap-de-de-ders in the chorus. “Good, for a Scot,” was Emerson’s verdict.
West Ham were on the pitch for over an hour to celebrate their historic Europa Conference League victory
David Moyes led the festivities by showing off his dressing room dance moves
Mikhail Antonio, who shared clips of West Ham’s partying from their hotel late on Wednesday, hinted the party could last ‘three weeks’
It was almost two in the morning, four hours after the final whistle, when the players began to line up outside, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola waving a huge loudspeaker and his beats booming through the concrete bowels of the stadium.
“The DJ is always Declan,” Emerson explains. Then also Lucas Paqueta. Right now everyone wants to be a DJ, everyone wants to dance, enjoy it. Of course we are happy. We enjoy the night.’
Workers were dismantling the stands and removing UEFA signage from the walls when they climbed aboard the team bus and left the venue. “I don’t see it ending,” Antonio said. “We have a party to go to and see the families. And now the season is over and it will take at least another three weeks for me.’
Declan Rice (left) and his manager (right) were spotted dancing through the streets of Prague at 4am
Moyes (front center) even got involved in the antics of Hammers fans outside the team’s hotel
Back at the team hotel in Prague, they danced off the bus and into the lobby, cheered on by a welcoming committee of supporters as they sang about Jarrod Bowen, whose goal won the cup.
Sporting director Mark Noble, who retired from playing last year, looked immaculate in a blue suit, crisp white shirt and burgundy tie that didn’t fit in with the white polo shirts, gray shorts and tracksuits, having stated that he’d too emotional’ to talk.
Antonio, winner’s medal around his neck, said: ‘I’ve been here for eight years and to have this feeling, West Ham waited 58 years for this moment and it’s been amazing, a great experience. Probably the best season I’ve had since playing at West Ham.
“Before the game, one of the things I said to the guys was, people don’t get many chances like this. Many footballers play football and win nothing in their entire career. Some quality players have done that. We had to make sure we didn’t miss anything and we didn’t. We went out, ran a good team and we won.’
While it was a first medal for some, Emerson completed a full UEFA set, a Conference League winner’s medal to match the Champions League, Europa League and Super Cup medals he won at Chelsea and European Championship victory with Italy.
“You know, when these things come, it’s so good for everyone,” Emerson said. “Now it’s time to relax and enjoy this title.”
Antonio shared that this season had been his best in a West Ham shirt as the team ended their 58-year European trophy drought.
Rice wore his medal for the journey home, where the club will be celebrated with a bus parade
At four in the morning, Moyes and Rice were back outside, strolling the streets of Prague with Czech fullback Vladimir Coufal and others. Music was still on at the hotel when breakfast was served at 9am as the team prepared to fly back to London for an open-top bus parade starting at their spiritual home, the old Upton Park stadium.
“This isn’t where we’re going to stop,” Antonio swore. “We will see if we can keep pushing ourselves and do better and better. Last year semi-finals of the Europa League, won the Conference League this year. We have a good group of guys here and we have confidence, hopefully we can build on that.”
Co-owner and co-chairman David Sullivan, meanwhile, pledged to “build on this triumph” and that of the club’s Under-18 team, which won the FA Youth Cup and Premier League this season. He also paid a personal tribute to David Gold, his close friend, business partner and former co-owner, a lifelong West Ham fan who passed away in January aged 86.
“In all the joy and excitement of victory, the only thing I was missing was to turn to him, see his smile and shake his hand,” said Sullivan. “But I know how proud he would have been. This is for you DG, our dreams are starting to come true.’