[1/5] Soccer Football - Europa Conference League - Fans gather in Prague ahead of the Europa Conference League Final - Prague, Czech Republic - June 6, 2023 West Ham United fans react in Old Town Square ahead of the Europa Conference League Final REUTERS/David W CernyPRAGUE, June 6 (Reuters) - Thousands of West Ham United fans descended on Prague on Tuesday ahead of the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina, filling local pubs and singing in the streets as they celebrated throughout the historic city centre. Both West Ham and Italy's Fiorentina - whose solitary European successes came over half a century ago - are treating Wednesday's showdown like a World Cup final, though it was difficult spotting supporters of the Serie A side in Prague. Fiorentina, who lost to Real Madrid in the second European Cup final in 1957, won the first edition of the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup in 1961. They lost in the final the next season and lost to Juventus in a two-legged UEFA Cup final in 1990. read moreWest Ham won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1965 for their only moment of continental glory. They lost in the 1976 final and the closest they have come since, excluding their 1999 Intertoto Cup victory, was last season's Europa League semi-finals.

---

Persons: David W Cerny PRAGUE, revel, Holly Turbutt, West, George Maddy, Maddy, Frank Haughton, Haughton, Robert Mueller, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Soccer, Europa Conference, West Ham United, Europa Conference League, REUTERS, Fiorentina, West, UEFA, Slavia Prague's, Italy's Fiorentina, Serie, Real Madrid, European, Juventus, West Ham, Intertoto, Europa League, Thomson Locations: Prague, Czech Republic, Old, West Ham, Europe, Germany, Czech