West Ham hosts Olympique Lyonnais this Thursday (9 p.m.) in the quarter-final first leg of the Europa League, in a London Stadium (60,000 seats) which filled up in just four days.
In search of a trophy for 42 years, the Hammers, current 6th in the Premier League, begin to dream of breaking their image of "losers" for good.
"A colossal expectation" is already being felt this Thursday in east London.
From our special correspondent in London,
The statues of Martin Peters, Bobby Moore and Geoffrey Hurst are inspected from every corner, this Thursday noon, in front of the Olympic stadium in London, including by children walking on rollerblades.
In 1965, the three legends of West Ham offered the London club the only European Cup in its history, the Cup of Cups, a year before being three centerpieces of the only World Cup won by England .
Among the 60,000 supporters expected this Thursday (9 p.m.), during the quarter-final first leg of the Europa League against OL, few were able to experience this European conquest.
To find traces of Hammers fans who have vibrated for a trophy gleaned by their heart club, there is no need to question their thirties or forties.
“Since I was a kid, I have experienced five relegations but no title,” sighs Nathan (43).
Suffice to say that it could help (or not) Lyon supporters to put this 10th anniversary without a trophy in perspective next month.
On Wednesday, West Ham left-back Aaron Cresswell (32) set the tone at a press conference: “This is the biggest game of my career.
Like many players in the team, this is the first time that I have played in a European Cup quarter-final”.
The fastest “sold out” record broken for this match
And for good reason, the Hammers have had a second round of the Europa League for 40 years after winning the 1999 Intertoto Cup (youhou), a first round of C3 in 2006, two consecutive failures in the qualifying rounds in 2005 and 2006 (still in the League Europa), and that's it.
Suffice to say that next door, OL look like Galactics given their habits of coming out of chickens.
That's why this Thursday poster was filled in just four days, which is a record in all competitions for West Ham since arriving at the Olympic Stadium in London in 2016, with a substantial tonnage of 60,000 squares.
Our UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg tie against Olympique Lyonnais at London Stadium has SOLD OUT.
Thank you so much for your massive support, Hammers!
⚒
— West Ham United (@WestHam) March 23, 2022
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"We really believe in it this season, it's time to win something," continues a hardly superstitious Nathan.
I admit that I have already noted that we will face either Barcelona or Frankfurt in the event of a semi-final.
“At the heart of the Hammers shop, which was busy at noon, we were able to chat with Mats (51), who had come especially from Norway with his son Sindre for the occasion.
"From Seville, I began to believe in it for good"
“We usually only attend two games a year, but when we saw that West Ham were finally in the quarter-finals of a European Cup, we could not miss it, explains this Norwegian addicted to Irons since the age of 6, when his parents offered him a jersey.
There is a colossal expectation around this match.
From our very good qualification in the 8th round against Sevilla [one of the favorites, beaten 2-0 on the return], I began to believe in it for good.
»
Painfully maintained in the Premier League in 2020, the London club has completely transformed since last season with David Moyes (6th in PL in 2021, and still 6th currently).
“We are no longer seen as
losers
now, appreciates Mats.
These last two seasons have been very good, which is surprising considering that we did not expect anything positive from the return of David Moyes to our bench.
»
“This club loves good football”
If the game set up by the Scottish coach is rather restrictive, it does not really correspond to the DNA of the Hammers.
“This club loves beautiful football, assures Guy Demel, an Ivorian defender who played here from 2011 to 2015. Even if he does not have a great reputation in Europe, he represents a lot for the English because he trained Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole or Jermain Defoe.
Not to mention the three legends who raised the only English World Cup.
»
Another former bubble club player
(
from 2005 to 2006), David Bellion is no more surprised than that by the beautiful dynamic of West Ham: "I have never felt a
loser
side anchored here, or thought that it would be impossible for such a club to qualify for the Europa League and live a strong adventure there.
The good stories sometimes happen, like Villarreal who won the C3 last season or Leicester who were champions of England in 2016”.
In the event of a colossal feat, on May 18 in Seville, Mats cannot help but project himself negatively: “I dread having to wait another 42 years to see my club win any title”.
Hammer to fall
.
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