West Ham celebrate Europa Conference League glory, Lionel Messi confirms Inter Miami move

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West Ham celebrate Europa Conference League victory

Declan Rice gives coy update on West Ham future amid Arsenal interest

Lionel Messi confirms he will join Inter Miami

Real Madrid agree deal to sign Jude Bellingham

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One West Ham fan called talkSPORT last night to claim they've had a better season than Arsenal!

The Hammers won the Europa Conference League to end their campaign on a high note after scrapping at the bottom of the Premier League for most of the season.

Their victory in Prague on Wednesday night meant they finished with more silverware than the Gunners, and one Hammers fan claimed it meant their season was more successful.

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Lionel Messi has announced he is to join Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.

The 35-year-old Argentina forward had been strongly linked with a move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, to join a league which already features Cristiano Ronaldo and now Karim Benzema.

However, with Messi's two-year contract at Paris St Germain coming to an end this month, the World Cup winner confirmed in a joint interview with Spanish publications Mundo Deportivo and Sport he was set to head to the United States.

"I made the decision that I am going to go to Miami," Messi said.

"I still haven't closed it one hundred per cent. I'm missing some things, but we decided to continue on the path."

MLS franchise Miami are co-owned by former England captain David Beckham.

The Florida side recently sacked Beckham's former Manchester United and England team-mate Phil Neville as coach and are currently bottom of the 15-team Eastern Conference, but remain a fiercely ambitious club.

Messi had also been linked with a move back to his former club Barcelona, but confirmed when that was not set to go through, he opted for a fresh challenge in the USA.

"If the Barcelona thing didn't work out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more in my family," he said.

"I really wanted, I was very excited to be able to return (to Barcelona), but after having experienced what I experienced and the exit I had, I did not want to be in the same situation again - waiting to see what was going to happen.

"I heard that they had to sell players or lower players' salaries and the truth is that I didn't want to go through that, nor take charge of obtaining something that had to do with all that."

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West Ham skipper Declan Rice does not know if he has played his last game for the club after the Europa Conference League victory over Fiorentina.

The England midfielder has been linked with a move away from the Hammers this summer.

And Rice may have signed off his West Ham career by becoming only the club's third captain, along with Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, to lift silverware in their 128-year history after the 2-1 victory in Prague.

Rice told BT Sport: "It's not a goodbye yet. Look at the moment there's a lot of speculation about my future.

"There is interest from other clubs, that's out there, but ultimately I've still got two years left at West Ham (one year plus option).

"There hasn't been nothing yet (offers). Let's wait and see, who knows.

"I love every minute of it here, you can see the smile on my face. It's not about that tonight, it's about celebrating and that's what I'm going to do now."

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Jarrod Bowen admitted scoring the winning goal in a European final was beyond his wildest dreams.

Bowen's last-minute strike secured a dramatic 2-1 victory for West Ham over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final and ended their 43-year wait for a trophy.

The 26-year-old winger raced on to Lucas Paqueta's through-ball and slotted home to spark wild celebrations on the pitch, the touchline and in the stands.

"I can't sum it up, it's the best feeling I've had in my career," said Bowen.

"When I went through I had a lot of time and it was just about making sure you put it in.

"The keeper came out and I think I fell over, I looked up and the ball was going in and I thought 'no, this isn't happening'.

"I spoke to my family before and said 'imagine scoring a goal in the last minute'. To bring a trophy to this club is the best moment of my career.

"The fans as well, seeing them after the game I was a bit lost for words. It's the best feeling of my life, never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd win a European trophy.

"I'm so buzzing, all of us are just going to go mad I think. You have to celebrate.

"When the final whistle went I just thought' this party is going to be crazy. I'm just a little boy from Leominster who never thought I'd be talking like this. My family are crying and it just shows me how far I've come."

7th Jun 2023, 17:59

That's all from talkSPORT's live blog for today!

You can tune into live coverage of tonight's Europa Conference League final between Fiorentina and West Ham from 7pm on talkSPORT, with kick-off coming at 8pm.

7th Jun 2023, 17:48

Darren Bent would be happy to see West Ham win the Europa Conference League… because they're not a threat to Arsenal.

The Hammers will kick-off against Fiorentina in just over two hours time, with Prague being the venue for the final.

West Ham reached the semi-finals of the Europa League last season but have gone one step further in the third tier of European football this time round.

They are just one win away from glory, and talkSPORT's Bent wants to see them lift the trophy.

7th Jun 2023, 17:29

Simon Jordan believes that despite it being the third tier of European competition, the Europa Conference League means something to West Ham.

The Hammers will win just the second edition of the tournament if they beat Fiorentina tonight, with Roma being the inaugural champions.

Victory will also see them enter the Europa League next season and Jordan says that if his team were competing in the tournament, he'd want them to win it.

Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: "If you frame it at David Moyes who was managing Manchester United ten years ago, and ask him to roll forward ten years and say, 'winning the Europa Conference League, will it be a legacy moment?", he'd have laughed you out the room.

"But, circumstances have changed. Now of course if you're in a tournament, you want to win it. If you're asked a question in the same way that Martin O'Neill was asked about the level of this competition, the Champions League has become a misrepresentation because it's not full of champions, the Europa League was the Cup Winners' Cup we all accepted what that was, and now they've created a third competition.

"So, you have to be honest about what it is and what it isn't but of course, as I've said repeatedly, if the team that I owned was playing in this competition, I'd want it to win."

7th Jun 2023, 17:10

There have been some unsavoury scenes in Prague ahead of tonight's Europa Conference League final.

West Ham fans have reportedly been attacked in the Czech capital, with clashes being seen hours before kick-off.

Czech police showed an image of Fiorentina fans arrested amid the violence, and a statement said: "Italy fans attacked West Ham fans in a bar in Rytirska Street, injuring three. One policeman was also attacked.

"We have arrested 16 people and we are currently investigating the whole incident."

Around 20,000 West Hams are expected to be in the city, but both the Hammers and Fiorentina have been given an allocation of 5,000 tickets for the game.

7th Jun 2023, 17:03

Lionel Messi is on his way to the United States…

Fabrizio Romano reports that the footballing legend will announce his move to Inter Miami 'in the next hours'.

The MLS side will be the third club of his professional career after Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

7th Jun 2023, 16:59

It seems as though preparations have already been made for a West Ham victory tonight…

A claret and blue bus has been spotted with the Hammers badge, along with the writing: "Winners 2022/23 UEFA Europa Conference League."

Fiorentina stand between them and European glory tonight in Prague.

Fans of David Moyes' side are eyeing silverware for the first time since 1980, with just one win now needed to secure glory.

7th Jun 2023, 16:44

Roma have provided an update on Tammy Abraham after he suffered a nasty knee injury on Sunday.

The striker fell awkwardly in the latter stages of the final game of the season and was visibly upset when he left the pitch.

On Wednesday, Roma said: "Tammy Abraham underwent reconstructive surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Wednesday.

"The operation was performed by Dr Andy Williams at London's Cromwell Hospital, with AS Roma head of medical Massimo Manara in attendance, and was a complete success.

"The player will remain at the London clinic for a few days before beginning the rehabilitation programme drawn up by the club's medical staff.

"Wishing you a speedy recovery, Tammy!"

7th Jun 2023, 16:27

West Ham fans have been building the excitement ahead of tonight's Europa Conference League.

The Hammers will kick-off against Fiorentina at 8pm to compete for their first trophy since 1980.

An abundance of fans across the country have travelled to Prague to show their support for David Moyes and his stars.

"West Ham are massive!' is the message fans have been known to chant in recent seasons, and the message has now spread to the Czech Republic.

7th Jun 2023, 16:11

Arsenal could be ready to let Nicolas Pepe go this summer.

Football.London report that even though the Gunners would like to receive a fee for the winger, plans have been formed to terminate his contract if need be.

Pepe has one year left on his deal at Arsenal and is no longer in Mikel Arteta's plans.

The 28-year-old, who has spent the season on loan at Nice, has made 112 appearances for the Gunners since he signed from Lille in 2019 for a club record fee of around £70million.

He made just five starts in the Premier League last season and could therefore be on his way out this summer.