Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso has labelled West Ham as ‘animals’ after his team lost the Europa Conference League final.
Jarrod Bowen’s last-minute goal earned the Hammers a 2-1 win in Prague, their first major piece of silverware since 1980 and first European success since 1965.
But there was bitterness on the Fiorentina side at the manner of their loss, with Commisso unhappy at Spanish referee Carlos del Cerro Grande.
Striker Luka Jovic had his nose broken and had to be replaced at half-time, having earlier seen a goal disallowed for offside.
Fiorentina captain Cristiano Biraghi was also left bleeding from the head after being hit by a barrage of plastic beer cups and a vape pen thrown by West Ham fans.
Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso described West Ham as ‘animals’ following his team’s 2-1 defeat to the Hammers in the Europa Conference League final
Striker Luka Jovic had to go off at half-time after his nose was broken in a collision
Viola captain Cristiano Biraghi was then stuck by a beer cup thrown by West Ham supporters
Commisso said he’d spoke to Premier League chief Richard Masters about the incidents.
‘What should I say? I expected a victory,’ he told reporters upon returning to Florence.
‘But there were cases where the referee should have done better. Jovic broke his nose, then Biraghi.
‘I spoke to the Premier League president, telling him they are all animals for how they treated our footballers.
‘The defeat is not fair. We could have won 3-0, I am sorry for the fans who deserved more.’
It is the second cup final Fiorentina have lost in recent days after Inter Milan defeated them 2-1 in the Coppa Italia final on May 24.
Nonetheless, Commisso confirmed manager Vincenzo Italiano would remain in charge next season.
Defender Biraghi was hit by multiple missiles after walking over to take a corner in front of the Hammers’ contingent and required treatment from medical staff.
Jovic goes down after taking a blow to the nose as referee Carlos del Cerro Grande looks on
Fiorentina captain Cristiano Biraghi was struck by an object thrown by West Ham supporters
Biraghi was left with a gash on the back of his head, with blood running down to his neck
One object, believed to have been a cup, struck Biraghi directly on his scalp and caused a small gash, leading blood to pour down the back of his head and his neck.
The match was halted to allow the officials to hold consultations with both captains, and a number of West Ham players attempted to calm down the unruly supporters.
A stadium announcement was made, warning fans against throwing projectiles.
‘An important security announcement. Stop throwing objects onto the pitch. Please respect players and the officials,’ the brief PA message said.
Biraghi, who initially directed a sarcastic clap toward the West Ham supporters after being hit, was deemed able to continue, albeit with a bandage on his head.
Declan Rice, Nayef Aguerd, Lucas Paqueta and Vladimir Coufal also pleaded with fans to stop throwing cups from the away section of the Eden Arena.
Hammers captain Declan Rice was summoned to speak with referee Carlos del Cerro Grande
Defender Biraghi sarcastically applauded the West Ham supporters after objects were tossed
West Ham issued a statement promising to take action against anyone found to have committed an offence and ban them from attending matches at the London Stadium.
‘West Ham United unreservedly condemn the behaviour of a small number of individuals who threw objects onto the pitch during tonight’s UEFA Europa Conference League final,’ said the statement.
‘These actions have no place in football, and do not in any way represent the values of our football club and the overwhelming majority of our supporters, who have behaved impeccably in Prague this week and throughout our last two seasons in European competition.
‘We will work with the police and other stakeholders to review the incidents and act against anyone found guilty of an offence.
‘In line with our zero-tolerance approach, anyone identified will have their details passed to the police and will be given an indefinite ban and therefore be unable to enter London Stadium and travel with the club. There is no place for this kind of behaviour at West Ham United.’
West Ham boss David Moyes celebrates winning the European Conference League
