West Ham qualify for Europa League

London: West Ham United have qualified for next sea

son’s Europa League after finishing top of the Premier

League’s Fair Play table. European football returns to the London club for the first

time since 2006- 07 in the final season at their famous

Upton Park home before they move to the Olympic

Stadium in 2016- 17. “We want to ensure the Boleyn Ground the best

send- off possible, and progress in this competition

will certainly help with that,” West Ham co- chair

men David Sullivan and David Gold said in a joint

statement. They conceded, though, that the prolonged Europa League qualification system, which begins with the first qualifying round on July 2, will “bring its challenges”. West Ham, without a manager after Sam Allardyce’s

exit on Sunday, will be among 104 teams entering the competition with three rounds to negotiate before

August’s playoff round.