UEFA charges West Ham and Fiorentina for Conference League final incidents

The referee was forced to stop play midway through the first half after West Ham fans threw objects at Fiorentina’s Cristiano Biraghi, hitting the defender on the head and drawing blood.

Czech riot police controls a crowd of West Ham United supporters celebrating at the Old Town Square after their team won the UEFA Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina in Prague on June 7, 2023. | Photo Credit: AFP

Fiorentina and West Ham United have both been charged for the behaviour of their fans in Wednesday’s Europa Conference League final in Prague, European football’s governing body UEFA said on Friday.

The referee was forced to stop play midway through the first half after West Ham fans threw objects at Fiorentina’s Cristiano Biraghi, hitting the defender on the head and drawing blood.

Both teams will face charges for the throwing of objects. In addition, Fiorentina will be charged for the lighting of fireworks, while West Ham will be charged for the invasion of the field by their supporters.

Czech police also said it had detained 16 Fiorentina supporters after it attacked West Ham fans in a local bar and a police officer before the match.

The match ended in a 2-1 win for West Ham after Jarrod Bowen slid home a 90th-minute winner.