One current member of West Ham United's coaching staff
has fond memories of the last time the Club travelled to Italy to
take part in European competition.
Reserve team coach Kevin Keen was on the playing staff at Upton Park when Hammers - under the management of Billy Bonds - took part in the Anglo-Italian Cup during our promotion-winning campaign of 1992-93.
In a competition designed to build bridges among the two countries in the aftermath of the Heysel disaster, Hammers faced four matches against Italian opposition, two at home, against Reggiana and Pisa, and two away, against Cremonese and Cosenza - a match that will live long in the memory of those who witnessed it.
Kevin recalls: "It was certainly interesting to experience my only real taste of European competition that season. If I'm honest, I remember the Anglo Italian Cup as not being a particularly pleasant competition to be involved in!
"The matches were very, very competitive, and not always in a fair way. It was the first time that any of us had come across things like constant shirt-pulling or spitting, and they really wanted to rile you.
"That kind of thing did happen occasionally in England, but not to the extent that we experienced in Italy. At the time, we all found the whole thing a bit of a thankless exercise, although it probably helped to toughen up a few of the younger lads!
"Not too many of the games were very memorable, apart from the last one, when we faced Cosenza in one of the most unforgettable matches I have played in. There had been torrential rain in the area for days, and the entire stadium was basically underwater.
"The pitch was completely waterlogged, the tunnel was flooded, but we had flown all the way out to Italy at the Club's expense, so it was decided to play the game and just get it over and done with.
"It was farcical really. The ball simply wouldn't roll along the ground and the Italians resorted to keeping it up in the air between them. In the end, we somehow won 1-0 with an absolute wonder goal from Clive Allen.
"Steve Jones clipped the ball to him from the right and, because of the surface, Clive took it first time left-footed on the volley - and it flew into the top corner from 25 yards out!
"We all came off like drowned rats - but happy! I don't think we got any further in the competition, but it was certainly a memorable experience.
"You couldn't really compare it to tonight's game in Palermo, though," adds Kevin. "There is obviously a lot more at stake and I think English teams now have a more educated view of how European teams play than we did back then.
"And this is the UEFA Cup - it really, really means something, and there is so much at stake for both teams. It's nice to be back out here, though, and both myself and Ludo Miklosko are enjoying our return all these years later!"
Reserve team coach Kevin Keen was on the playing staff at Upton Park when Hammers - under the management of Billy Bonds - took part in the Anglo-Italian Cup during our promotion-winning campaign of 1992-93.
In a competition designed to build bridges among the two countries in the aftermath of the Heysel disaster, Hammers faced four matches against Italian opposition, two at home, against Reggiana and Pisa, and two away, against Cremonese and Cosenza - a match that will live long in the memory of those who witnessed it.
Kevin recalls: "It was certainly interesting to experience my only real taste of European competition that season. If I'm honest, I remember the Anglo Italian Cup as not being a particularly pleasant competition to be involved in!
"The matches were very, very competitive, and not always in a fair way. It was the first time that any of us had come across things like constant shirt-pulling or spitting, and they really wanted to rile you.
"That kind of thing did happen occasionally in England, but not to the extent that we experienced in Italy. At the time, we all found the whole thing a bit of a thankless exercise, although it probably helped to toughen up a few of the younger lads!
"Not too many of the games were very memorable, apart from the last one, when we faced Cosenza in one of the most unforgettable matches I have played in. There had been torrential rain in the area for days, and the entire stadium was basically underwater.
"The pitch was completely waterlogged, the tunnel was flooded, but we had flown all the way out to Italy at the Club's expense, so it was decided to play the game and just get it over and done with.
"It was farcical really. The ball simply wouldn't roll along the ground and the Italians resorted to keeping it up in the air between them. In the end, we somehow won 1-0 with an absolute wonder goal from Clive Allen.
"Steve Jones clipped the ball to him from the right and, because of the surface, Clive took it first time left-footed on the volley - and it flew into the top corner from 25 yards out!
"We all came off like drowned rats - but happy! I don't think we got any further in the competition, but it was certainly a memorable experience.
"You couldn't really compare it to tonight's game in Palermo, though," adds Kevin. "There is obviously a lot more at stake and I think English teams now have a more educated view of how European teams play than we did back then.
"And this is the UEFA Cup - it really, really means something, and there is so much at stake for both teams. It's nice to be back out here, though, and both myself and Ludo Miklosko are enjoying our return all these years later!"