As West Ham gears up to play AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League semi-final match on Thursday, David Moyes has pointed out the significance of winning the competition, writes the Daily Mail.
He cited Jose Mourinho, the current coach of Roma, who won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2022. By securing victory, Mourinho became the second manager ever to win five major European titles. The addition of this trophy to Roma’s collection has proved instrumental in enhancing their prospects both domestically and internationally. The Serie A team is now eager to clinch their second consecutive European cup as they compete in the Europa League.
Jose Mourinho’s pride in being the only coach to have won all three European trophies was so great that he got the three cups tattooed on his shoulder to commemorate the achievement. David Moyes noted that the former Manchester United manager’s passion for glory in the competition is something he would like to emulate. Moyes made these remarks ahead of West Ham’s first-leg match against AZ Alkmaar at the London Stadium on Thursday. He also expressed his belief that reaching the final in Prague could be his most significant achievement.
“I was fortunate to get to a Champions League quarter-final with Manchester United, lost on penalties in the quarter-final of the Europa League with Everton and last year we reached a semi-final (of the Europa League) here at West Ham,” he told reporters.
“I want to try and take it a couple of steps further, and I would refer back to the serial winner Jose Mourinho – who found winning this trophy so special for him and his football club.”
“If ever I needed someone to show how hard it is, it would be Jose. He treated it as if it was so important, there’s no way we’re treating it any less than that.”