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      Moment clashes erupt between West Ham & AZ Alkmaar fans ahead of tense Europa Conference League semi-final decider

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      THIS is the moment violent clashes erupted between West Ham and AZ Alkmaar fans ahead of tonight’s game.Supporters were seen chasing each other on the streets of Holland as they await the Europa Conference League semi-final decider.
      On Twitter, more clips revealed large swarms of fans racing through the streets holding what appears to be chairsCredit: Twitter/ElijahKyama
      Huge groups were seen running through the streetsCredit: Twitter/VoetbalUltras
      One group member appeared to use what looked like a bicycle as a weaponCredit: Twitter/VoetbalUltras
      A local news outlet has described a “grim atmosphere” as footie fans in hoodies sparked fights earlier this evening.
      In footage shared to social media, one person was captured being horrifically attacked by a group, with one member using what looked like a bicycle as a weapon.
      On Twitter, more clips revealed large swarms of fans racing through the streets holding what appears to be chairs.
      It is understood West Ham supporters were caught up in the mix when Alkmaar and FC Groningen fans brawled.

      This comes after AZ Alkmaar fans attempted to disrupt the semi-final by setting off fire works outside West Ham’s team hotel.
      One fan was even hit by a stray rocket, as seen in video clips, and hooded figures fled the area.
      West Ham played the first leg of the semi-final at home last Thursday and won 2-1.
      The team has reverted to their strongest available line-up for the second leg tonight as they try to reach their first European final in 47 years.
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      David Moyes made nine changes from the Premier League defeat by Brentford on Sunday with Declan Rice, Lucas Paqueta and Michail Antonio among those coming back in.
      The two teams will play at the AFAS Stadion Stadium, which holds nearly 19,5000 fans – of which around 5,000 are expected to be there for West Ham tonight. 
      West Ham cult hero Andy Carroll is currently enjoying himself out there for the game, singing with fans near the stadium.
      In a clip posted on Twitter, the striker, 34, was seen jumping up and down chanting: “West Ham are massive everywhere we go, West Ham are massive everywhere we go.”
      This comes after AZ Alkmaar fans attempted to disrupt the semi-final by setting off fire works outside West Ham’s team hotelCredit: Twitter/VoetbalUltras
      Andy Carroll pictured on the beers with West Ham fans in Holland ahead of the huge European semi-final clashCredit: Twitter/vinnywhufc
      West Ham played the first leg of the semi-final at home last Thursday and won 2-1Credit: PA
      West Ham United fans in the city ahead of the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final at the AFAS Stadium, AlkmaarCredit: PA
      A local news outlet has described a ‘grim atmosphere’ as footie fans in hoodies sparked fights earlier this eveningCredit: PA
      The team have reverted to their strongest available line-up for the second leg tonightCredit: PA More

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      You’ve been saying AZ Alkmaar’s name all wrong for years and the reason is pretty obvious

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      FANS have been getting the name of AZ Alkmaar wrong and the reason could not be more obvious.The Dutch side are in the semi-final of the Conference League against West Ham.
      Everyone has been saying AZ Alkmaar’s name wrongCredit: Getty
      The Hammers won the first leg 2-1 and will take a lead to the city just north of Amsterdam this Thursday, hoping to secure a place in the final.
      But fans have been saying the club’s name incorrectly.
      This is because the “A” actually stands for Alkmaar, so we have been perhaps stupidly saying it twice.
      Meanwhile, the “Z” means Zaanstreek.
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      Their name comes from the merger of two clubs, Alkmaar ’54 and FC Zaanstreek.
      The two joined forces in 1967 as chiefs wanted to create a powerful team in the Zaan and Alkmaar region.
      AZ, as we will now call them, are two-time winners of the Eredivisie and four-time domestic cup winners.
      They came runners-up in the Uefa Cup, now Europa League, in 1981.
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      In their current squad, they have ex-Premier League stars Mat Ryan, Jordy Clasie and Bruno Martins Indi.
      They also boast top young talent like Jesper Karlsson and Milos Kerkez, who have been linked with moves to England.
      AZ currently sit fourth in the table and will meet either Italian side Fiorentina or Swiss outfit FC Basel in the Conference League final in Prague if they can overturn West Ham’s lead. More

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      West Ham fans accused of confronting families of AZ Alkmaar manager and players leaving them ‘shocked’

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      A GROUP of West Ham fans have been accused of confronting the families of AZ Alkmaar players and staff.The Hammers hosted the Dutch side in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final on Thursday night.
      The families of AZ Alkmaar general manager Robert Eenhoorn, left, and manager Pascal Jansen, right, were allegedly confronted by West Ham fansCredit: Rex
      The relatives of AZ’s players, manager, coaches and board members were seated in the home main stand of the London Stadium – and not with their team’s fans in the away section.
      It is reported by De Telegraaf that the guests included the wife of the club’s general manager Robert Eenhoorn, the girlfriend and two children of manager Pascal Jansen as well as a number of family members of the players.
      However, Eenhoorn alleges some West Ham supporters were unhappy they were seated in the section for the Hammers and allegedly confronted them, apparently leaving the visitors frightened for their safety.
      It is understood the altercation was triggered by AZ Alkmaar’s goal, which put them 1-0 up on 41 minutes.
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      The general manager adds the families had to be rescued and moved to a different area of the stadium.
      Eenhoorn claimed to have seen the alleged shocking scenes unfold and rushed to provide aid.
      He said: “They were then taken to another place, high in the stadium. 
      “But there were the most dangerous supporters of West Ham about. 
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      “As a result, I hardly got anything from the match, I was only concerned with the safety of our people.”
      Eenhoorn told manager Jansen what had happened when they met after full-time.
      Jansen added: “He reassured me because my children and girlfriend were in the business. 
      “I just spoke to them, but everything is fine now. There was some consternation after our goal. 
      “They were shocked, but they are now safe and in good condition on the bus.”
      West Ham are aware of the situation but declined to comment when contacted by SunSport.
      On the pitch, Said Benrahma’s penalty midway through the second half cancelled out Tijjani Reijnders’ long-range opener – which had seen one witty AZ fan celebrate wildly in a Millwall shirt.
      Michail Antonio then gave West Ham the advantage going into next week’s second leg, though.
      The Jamaican bundled in with 15 minutes to go to complete the turnaround and secure a 2-1 win in East London.
      The reported altercation took place after AZ Alkmaar took the leadCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

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      West Ham 2 AZ Alkmaar 1: Hammers take slender lead to Holland as Antonio gives Moyes’ men unconvincing win

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      MAYBE this West Ham lot have learned their lessons?Déjà vu seeped into the London Stadium like an unwanted guest at an East London house party after AZ Alkmaar – a team full of ballsy Dutch kids – opened the scoring.
      Said Benrahma drew West Ham level from the spotCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Benrahma scored after ex-Arsenal and Brighton goalkeeper Matt Ryan fouled Jarrod Bowen in the boxCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Michail Antonio then poked the Hammers in frontCredit: Getty
      Tijjani Reijnders’ strike just before the break brought back unwelcome memories of last season’s Europa League semi-final heartbreak against Eintracht Frankfurt.
      Back then, Frankfurt also took the lead at the London Stadium before fleeing back to Germany with a 2-1 win.
      The rest is history you dare not repeat in these parts.
      Dreams of a first European final since 1976 and a first piece of silverware for West Ham since 1980 were chewed up, spat out and trampled upon in the second leg.
      It took boss David Moyes and his battered boys a while to get over it, only to be staring those fears square in the face yet again just over 12 months later.
      Only this time, Moyes watched his gutsy side churn out a comeback that had all the hallmarks of a squad battle-hardened and experienced.
      Alkmaar keeper Maty Ryan’s knock-out punch of Jarrod Bowen while coming for a cross gave Said Benrahma the chance to level from the spot in the 67th minute.
      It will be no surprise that, with Eurovision around the corner, the shot-stopper from Australia should receive a ‘nil-point’ rollocking from his London-born boss Pascal Jansen.
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      And within a frenzied eight minutes, West Ham were ahead – Michail Antonio bundling home in the ugliest but most satisfying way possible.
      Unlike last season, when they had to go to Frankfurt needing a result only to see red cards, accusations of corruption and balls kicked at ball-boys spoil their night, the return leg to Holland requires a far simpler approach – Do. Not. Lose.
      Benrahma emphatically found the corner from the spotCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Antonio converts from close range to make it advantage West Ham going into next week’s return legCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Do that, and a final in Prague is within their reach – just do not expect it to come easy.
      Nothing ever does for this club, just ask their pained fanbase.
      Moyes had played mind games in the build-up by suggesting the return of Kurt Zouma after a troublesome ankle injury would come too soon, but there he was in the heart of defence.
      Other than Alphonse Areola taking his place as West Ham’s cup keeper ahead of No.1 Lukasz Fabianski, the side was unchanged from the weekend’s impressive 1-0 win over Manchester United.
      Jansen was at the London Stadium for that one, but it appeared to have no impact on his young team’s approach – death by a thousand passes.
      By the half hour mark, the visitors had racked up 63 per cent possession without seriously testing the palms of Areola.
      West Ham meanwhile were enjoying the freedom to play like the away side early on.
      Blistering and aggressive counter attacks down the wings were causing Alkmaar problems, but the first chance came about via a rare misplaced pass at the back.
      Declan Rice’s looped cross was ballooned over by the head of Jarrod Bowen before the winger wasted another opportunity after Antonio drove from deep.
      Benrahma appeared in better shooting fettle, almost finding the bottom corner with a curling effort that was superbly tipped past the post by Ryan.
      The half was beginning to peter out until a moment of controversy gave Alkmaar their first opportunity to produce a counter of their own, finishing emphatically.
      Lucas Paqueta crumpled to the floor following what looked like a clear push in the back by defender Sam Beukema.
      In the sixteen seconds that followed, Alkmaar stormed down the left, cut inside and Reijnders could not believe how much space and time he had to pick his shot.
      He did, with the help of some questionable keeping by Areola as the ball fizzed through the Frenchman’s gloves and into his bottom right corner.
      Moyes paced his technical area with his arms spread in a rage.
      Another dodgy VAR call, or lack of one, had gone against his boys yet again this season.
      The sense of injustice spilled over into the second half.
      Alkmaar were prepared to take timewasting to a new level whenever humanly possible.
      That was until Ryan decided to take matters into his own hands, quite literally.
      Paqueta’s cross was met by Tomas Soucek’s flick-on and Bowen took a smack for his troubles.
      Benrahma celebrated his spot-kick by the corner flag as Moyes urged his players back to nick the winner.
      They did just that in the 75th minute.

      Nayef Aguerd’s header was cleared off the line from a messy corner and Antonio finished it off.
      Work to be done, but advantage, for once, is Claret and Blue.
      Tijjani Reijnders initially scored to put AZ Alkmaar aheadCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

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      Fans banned from crunch European clash over ‘threats to national security’ as club reveal they’re ‘furious’ at decision

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      FC BASEL have issued a furious statement after their fans were BANNED from attending their Europa Conference League clash at Nice on Thursday.The sides drew 2-2 in last week’s first leg in Switzerland, with fans well behaved and travelling Nice supporters experiencing little trouble.
      FC Basel drew 2-2 with OGC Nice in last week’s first legCredit: AFP
      After a series of meetings with authorities described as “unstructured” by Basel, the decision has been made to prohibit away fans from attending tomorrow night’s game.
      The reason has been described as a “national security issue” – with strikes planned for tomorrow in Nice.
      On this particular reasoning, Basel wrote in an official club statement: “The fact that France is regularly affected by strikes is nothing new; it was already a fact on the day of the draw and cannot be FC Basel’s problem.
      “In various past (international) games, this fact has not led to the exclusion of guest fans. The city of Basel and FCB welcomed the fans from Nice with open arms, enabling the French team to support their fans at the Joggeli.
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      “We are also demanding the same rights from the French authorities and the OGC Nice for tomorrow, Thursday – and thus the immediate lifting of the ban on FCB fans in Nice!
      “In its charter, FC Basel 1893 condemns the blanket criminalisation of football fans – but that is exactly what the French authorities are doing in this case.
      “Our charter also states that FCB conducts an open dialogue with authorities, associations, clubs and fans. In the present case, this dialogue did not exist from the start.”
      Basel also revealed that the match has been categorised as a “high-risk fixture” – despite the two teams having no rivalry.
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      They added: “FC Basel 1893 is furious and extremely disappointed with the unacceptable course of action and the decision by the French authorities not to allow FCB fans into the second leg of the quarter-finals in Nice.
      “After the first large, very unstructured telephone conference among all those involved on Maundy Thursday, the southern French prefecture sent FC Basel a list of strict conditions under which the Basel fans may travel to the away game in Nice. FCB communicated this information accordingly and started ticket sales.
      “The day after this communication, the Conference League first leg between FCB and OGC Nice was played in Basel – the Nice fans were warmly welcomed both in the city and in the stadium without incident and it remained relatively peaceful.
      ‘UNACCEPTABLE IGNORANCE AND ARROGANCE’
      “Another day later, on April 14, 2023, a large video conference took place in which the Nice authorities, Uefa, representatives of OGC Nice and FCB, including fan work, took part.
      “In this exchange, the representatives of FC Basel met with unacceptable ignorance and arrogance on the part of the authorities.”
      Basel have contacted lawyers as they explore “legal remedies” to the issue.
      They have also consulted Football Supporters Europe – a respected organisation that campaigns for the rights of fans.
      Basel have also confirmed that if their fans remain barred from the game, they will offer “the best possible support in clarifying claims for reimbursement of travel expenses”. More

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      Brit West Ham fan, 57, killed after being hit by train in Belgium following 1-1 Conference League draw with Gent

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      A WEST Ham fan has died in Belgium following a football match after being struck by a train.The Hammers supporter, 57, was in the Belgian city of Ghent for Thursday night’s UEFA Conference League clash when he died.
      A West Ham fan has died after being hit by a train in BelgiumCredit: Alamy
      He was killed at Gent’s Sint-Pieters station after Thursday’s clashCredit: Alamy
      He had been at the KAA Stadium to watch David Moyes’ side earn a 1-1 Conference League draw on Thursday evening.
      But he was later involved in a fatal collision with a train at Gent’s Sint-Pieters station.
      Emergency services raced to the scene and transported the victim to a hospital in the city.
      However, the British citizen was later pronounced dead by doctors.
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      The prosecutor’s office in East Flanders described the tragedy as an “unfortunate accident”.
      Train services in the area were disrupted for hours before returning to normal around 3am on Friday.
      Danny Ings had given West Ham the lead in first-half added time.
      But Hugo Cuypers leveled on 56 minutes to leave the quarter-final tie evenly poised going into next Thursday’s return at the London Stadium.
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      Watch insane moment Gent defenders high five each other SECONDS before Danny Ings scores for West Ham

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      TWO oblivious Gent players high-fived each other for their defensive work – then just seconds later saw Danny Ings sneak in to score for West Ham. The Belgian side almost got to half-time with their clean sheet still intact against the Hammers in the Europa Conference League first-leg quarter-final tie.
      Danny Ings slipped in behind the distracted Gent defence to open the scoringCredit: Reuters
      Kamil Piatkowski (left) and Alessio Castro-Montes share a high-five just before things started to go wrongCredit: BTSport

      But a bizarre moment between centre-back Kamil Piatkowski and wing-back Alessio Castro-Montes undid their hard work.
      Piatkowski and Castro-Montes were high-fiving each other as Vladimir Coufal took the quick throw for West Ham.
      The distracted pair were celebrating blocking a previous West Ham attack.
      Coufal’s quick throw found Jarrod Bowen deep inside the box.
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      The 26-year-old swivelled and sent a low ball across the six-yard box which Ings only had to tap home.
      It was the striker’s first ever goal in Europe but replays suggested it was preventable from a Gent perspective.
      Had Piatkowski and Castro-Montes not been celebrating their previous good work they would likely have snuffed out West Ham’s quick thinking attack.
      Gents blushes were spared in the second-half as Hugo Cuypers equalised to leave the game level-pegging before the second leg at the London Stadium next week.
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      Both sides could have scored a winner during a frantic final 20 minutes with Gent forward Gift Orban hitting the crossbar with a sensational overhead kick.
      The 20-year-old Nigerian has been compared to Erling Haaland due to his recent scoring exploits.
      Despite neither side finding a second goal, there would be late drama as Piatkowski was sent off for a tackle on Lucas Paqueta as the midfielder charged through on goal.
      But a long-winded VAR check saw the decision reversed.
      VAR also got involved earlier in the game to chalk off Nayef Aguerd’s strike, leaving fans furious. More

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      Premier League transfer target Terem Moffi scores overhead kick that’s ‘better than Cristiano Ronaldo’

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      TEREM MOFFI put the Premier League clubs chasing his signature on red alert as he produced an overhead kick that was “better than Cristiano Ronaldo”.The 23-year-old forward was heavily linked with several English clubs back in the January transfer window.
      Nice’s Terem Moffi scored a stunning bicycle kick against BaselCredit: Reuters

      But it was Nice that won the race for his signature after his red-hot start to the campaign for L’Orient.
      The Nigerian international moved there on loan until the end of the season, with an obligation-to-buy for £26.4 million as part of the package.
      Since then he has hit the ground running for Nice with four goals in seven Ligue 1 outings.
      But tonight he perhaps produced his best moment so far with a brilliant bicycle kick in the Europa Conference League clash with Basel.
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      Having already grabbed his team’s first, he then put them 2-1 ahead seconds before half time as he met a cross in incredible fashion with an absolute worldie.
      “Better than Ronaldo,” declared one viewer.
      Another tweeted: “Filthiest strike that.”
      A fellow footy fan said: “Almost ripped the net off.”
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      Southampton had a bid of £10.6million, with a further £7.1million in add-ons, rejected by L’Orient back in January.
      They were holding out for around £25million.
      That proved to be a major obstacle for West Ham, who were also keen, after forking out almost £170m during the summer window.
      They eventually switched their attention to securing Danny Ings.
      Meanwhile, Moffi’s magnificent effort was not enough to earn his team an away win as Basel battled back to earn a 2-2 first leg draw. More