Newcastle United co-owner sends three-word message to West Ham after Conference League win

Said Benrahma’s second half penalty was cancelled out by Giacomo Bonaventura before Jarrod Bowen’s last minute winner in the second ever Conference League final. It ended West Ham’s 43-year trophy drought in the process and confirmed their place in next season’s Europa League.

Next season, eight English sides will compete in European competitions for the first time since the 2011-12 season. That season saw the traditional four teams qualify for the Champions League while four also competed in the Europa League following Birmingham City’s League Cup win, Stoke City’s FA Cup final appearance and Fulham’s UEFA fair play ranking.

These days, none of those methods would grant Europa League qualification.

Following The Hammers’ European success, Newcastle United co-owner Jamie Reuben was quick to congratulate The Magpies’ Premier League rivals.

“Fair play - Congratulations @WestHam,” Reuben tweeted on Wednesday evening.

Not including Newcastle’s often ridiculed Intertoto Cup win in 2006-07, West Ham are only the fifth English side to win a European competition during the Premier League era, and the first to win the Conference League.

Chelsea are the only Premier League team to have won three different European competitions having won the Champions League and Europa League twice as well as the now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup. Manchester United and Liverpool have also won the Champions League twice and Europa League once in the Premier League era while Arsenal won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994.