West Ham's former Intertoto rivals are back in the big time

By Alessandro Schiavone at Stade Saint-Symphorien

Last week West Ham United ended 24 years of wait for a trophy after narrowly defeating Fiorentina 2-1 in the Prague showdown. 

But before Jarrod Bowen’s late sucker punch over La Viola sparked wild celebrations in the stands and across the streets in east London, it was a 3-2 aggregate win over FC Metz in the Intertoto final of 1999 that was long living in everyone's memory.

Even though that competition was nowhere near the Conference League or the fellow-defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup in terms of prestige it was still an official trophy awarded by UEFA. 

And one the success-starved Hammers fans had still prided themselves on until they made new memories last Wednesday. A moment of glory they loved recalling whenever they felt that nouveau-riche Chelsea or Arsenal’s Invincibles’ place in the London sun was threatening their own status in subsequent seasons. 

And French yo-yo club Metz, on the receiving end of a triple damage by Sinclair, Lampard and Wanchope nearly a quarter of a century ago, also have something to cheer about as their return to Ligue 1 was confirmed yesterday. 

The LFP Disciplinary Committee denied Metz’s promotion rivals Girondins Bordeaux the opportunity to replay the final game of the season against Rodez.

The controversial game got suspended with the minnows 1-0 up after a home supporter physically let his frustrations out on goalscorer Lucas Buades. 

Metz had won their own game against Bastia 3-2 at Saint Symphorien on that Friday 2nd of June, yet were discouraged from celebrating.

Since that night the club had been holding their breath as a 4-0 win by Bordeaux in a hypothetical replay would have seen their closest rivals pull level with them on 72 points. But a superior goal difference would have condemned Robert Pires, Sylvain Wiltord and Sadio Mane’s former club to another season in Ligue 2. 

Against Bastia, Metz showed that their shock resurgence and climb up the table after a tricky start to the season was no fluke. 

It took Tottenham outcast Pape Matar Sarr’s former club half an hour to break Bastia’s resistance. Well, they stood in their own way with some missed chances. Tidiane Sabaly, trying to set up Mikautadze who was lurking at the back post, saw his effort curling cross nestle in without intervention. Metz had the lion’s share of the ball and their direct approach began to pay off. 

Youssef Maziz doubled the hosts’ lead with a spectacular finish in the 55th minute. Job done, enough daylight? Not really as Bastia reduced the deficit in the 68th minute through a Florian Bohnert flicked header in off the post to send the home supporters into a state of panic again.  

But that only lasted seven minutes as Maziz’s second of the night was so good it even topped his spectacular first. His bending effort had both the precision and power it needed to catch keeper Ludovic Boucher off his line. 

And Bastia’s Kevin Schur’s 86th minute goal proved as inconsequential as West Ham’s 1-0 home defeat to Metz in the first leg all those years ago.

But while les Grenats were out of sorts and West Ham jubilant on that 24th of August 1999, they will both now be acquainted with wonderful feelings heading into the summer of 2023.