David Moyes pays tribute to Walter Smith as he mentions Rangers in press conference today
West Ham United boss David Moyes has paid tribute to Rangers legend Walter Smith, ahead of the Europa Conference League final, as reported by the Hammers’ official website.
Moyes’ side will go head-to-head with Fiorentina in the Prague showdown as he aims to go one better than in 2008, when he lost to them, as manager of Everton in the UEFA Cup.
In the same competition that year, Rangers defeated Fiorentina on penalties in the semi-final in their own backyard to send the club to the final in Manchester.
Moyes recalled his previous tussle with the Tuscan side, as well as paying respects to the late, great Smith.
“I faced Fiorentina when I was at Everton and obviously we lost 2-0 in Florence and we won 2-0 at Goodison,” he said.
“It went to penalty kicks and it was a great opportunity because I think Rangers then beat Fiorentina in the semi-final.
“One of my good friends was Walter Smith, who was manager of Rangers and unfortunately died not too long ago.
“They went on to play in the final at Manchester City’s stadium so it would have been a great achievement if we had got to the final, but it was a good game against Fiorentina.
“Both games were tight and unfortunately it happens in football that sometimes it goes to penalty kicks. Hopefully, it doesn’t happen like that and it goes our way this time.”
All that matters
The veteran boss may have made a diplomatic remark about not wanting the ECL final to go to penalties but if he was offered to succeed in that way, he and every single Hammers fan would be overjoyed.
West Ham and Rangers’ paths almost crossed in Europe last season, as well, but the Irons were eliminated by Eintracht Frankfurt in the semi-final of the Europa League, as the Germans went on to beat Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Gers in the Seville final.
It says plenty about Moyes that he would recall Walter when talking about his own aspirations and previous encounters on the pitch.
As Glasgow men and football managers, they are cut from a similar cloth in how they conduct themselves and their work.
Walter’s name will live forever at Ibrox and if Moyes can lead the Irons to glory in the Czech capital on Wednesday, his own sense of immortality will be secured.
In other Rangers news, Calvin Bassey sends out a message after the latest Ibrox transfer news emerges.