West Ham United boss David Moyes has sent an emotional message ahead of the Hammers’ Europa League semi-final second leg tie against Eintracht Frankfurt.
West Ham are hoping to defy the odds and qualify for the Europa League final on Thursday night when they take on Frankfurt in Germany, hoping to overturn a 2-1 first leg loss at Deutsche Bank Park on Thursday night, with the winner of the tie taking on either Rangers or RB Leipzig in Seville in the final later this month.
For Moyes, an aggregate win in Germany would give the Scot his first ever European final in what has been a managerial career that is currently into its 24 th year, first starting in 1998 when taking charge of Preston North End.
Speaking ahead of the game, Moyes revealed that both his brother and his 86-year-old father are travelling to Germany to watch the Hammers in hope that the London club will reach their first ever European final.
“My Dad’s coming and I keep saying I hope my son takes me to the football when I’m 86 as well, because what else would you want to do?” Moyes told West Ham’s club website.
“You want to go to big games and you want to get the chance to go away, so that’s it. Luckily my brother’s bringing my Dad and great, isn’t it, when you get the chance to see you at these stages. I’m hoping I can give them a night to remember.
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“It would be special. It would be even better if it were the final! He wants it to be the final, so do I, and having him here’s great, and as we all know when we get to 86 or 87, we're all hoping somebody takes us to the football. The biggest thing is that he enjoys it, and the biggest thing for me is that we get to the final.”
In the first leg tie, Frankfurt took the lead within the opening 50 seconds of the game when Ansgar Knauff’s header put the visitors in front. Michail Antonio levelled the occasion 20 minutes later when turning in at the back post from the end of a free-kick, only for Frankfurt to secure a 2-1 win early in the second half via Daichi Kamada’ s close-range finish.
West Ham could still qualify for Europe next season in the Premier League and while the Champions League is only in reach if they win the Europa League, qualification for either the Europa League or Conference League is up for grabs via their final position in the domestic table.
West Ham currently sit seventh in the Premier League table with three games remaining, but find themselves six points shy of the Europa League places.
In the Hammers’ final three league games of the campaign, they take on already-relegated Norwich City, league leaders Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion.
However, if West Ham win the Europa League, they will qualify for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
