As limbs were flying in the away dressing room of AZ Alkmaar’s AFAS stadium, there was one man missing from the jubilant scenes as West Ham players and staff celebrated reaching the Europa Conference League final.
After sealing a historic win with a solo goal and finish in the dying seconds of added time, Pablo Fornals was whisked off soon after the final whistle by UEFA anti-doping testers just as the party was getting started.
“I had the bad luck to be selected for anti-doping so I couldn’t celebrate anything, I was just drinking water!” recalled Fornals, speaking as part of ‘Massive | The story of West Ham United’s 2022/23 UEFA Europa Conference League triumph’.
“People from UEFA select players randomly and on that day they asked me to do a blood and urine test so obviously I couldn’t say no. So I was just waiting in a room trying to wee!”
While he would have rather been enjoying the moment with a well deserved drink and sing along with his teammates, Fornals admitted he was just happy to have got the job done.
“I wanted to be involved, I wanted to be buzzing with all of them jumping and shouting and outside with the crowd.
“But I won the lottery ten minutes before so I can’t say anything.”
After an arduous campaign that saw the Hammers play 14 games across Europe on route to the final in Prague, the dressing room celebrations were the reward for months of hard work.
Aaron Cresswell explained: “Once we got back in the dressing room the lads certainly celebrated. These are the nights you’re in football for and certainly for the fans, I can imagine it was special.
“To see the group of players who have worked so hard all season. The Premier League wasn’t great but certainly on the road in Europe, travelling to Cyprus, Denmark, Belgium, Holland and then to get through to the final was special.”
