David Moyes was the first manager to inflict a home defeat in Europe on AZ Alkmaar, and he wants to repeat the trick on Thursday night with West Ham.
Moyes brought a proud 32-match record, spanning three decades, to an end when his Everton side beat Louis van Gaal’s men 3-2 in the UEFA Cup in 2007.
Since then Manchester United, Arsenal, Valencia and Lazio have all tried, and failed, to win at the AFAS stadium.
Almost 16 years later, Moyes brings West Ham to the small city north of Amsterdam bidding to take them to the Europa League Conference final.
“Their record is very good. But I have been here and won before,” said the Hammers boss.
“I remember it well. I have to try to do that again tomorrow night. That’s the job.
“I remember it because I have so much respect for Louis van Gaal and he was the coach at that time. I was still a very young coach learning my way.
“It was my dad who reminded me about the victory, he was here then and he’ll be here tomorrow as well.”
West Ham lead 2-1 from the first leg so know a draw would move them a step closer to a first trophy since 1980.
They have briefly flirted with glory since, notably at the ‘Steven Gerrard’ FA Cup final which they lost on penalties to Liverpool.
“Whether or not it’s our biggest game since the 2006 FA Cup final is probably a question for people who have been at West Ham longer than me,” added Moyes.
“But for this group of players it’s a huge game – we want to reach a cup final but we have a really difficult opponent and if we’re going to get there we’ll have to earn it.
“There are no ‘gimmes’ in football and any team in the semi-final of a competition like this has to be a good side.
“I’ve no doubt we will have to withstand pressure at times, but it’s as big a game for them as it is for us.”
To add to the mystique surrounding AZ’s home record, there is a moat which surrounds their fortress-like ground.
“If you look at our record at home in Europe so far, you can hopefully see it that way. This is our home, we must protect it,” said their London-born coach Pascal Jansen.
“I spoke only yesterday about West Ham’s away record in the Premier League and their results away in Europe, which are stronger, but those statistics are all in the past now – it’s all history.
“Talking about them will not make any difference. We are on the verge of reaching a European final, which would be very, very special, but we have to make it happen.”
Nottingham Forest unsuccessful in appeal against Premier League points deduction
Nottingham Forest have been unsuccessful in their appeal against a four-point deduction for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.
In March, Forest were deducted four points after admitting to breaching the league's financial rules by overspending by £34.5million over a three-year assessment period ending last season.
Everton have also lost eight points to two separate deductions, having been found to have breached the rules in the period culminating in 2022-23 and the period ending last campaign.
Forest's penalty dropped them into the thick of the relegation battle, with the club saying they were "extremely dismayed by the tone and content" of the Premier League's submissions to an independent commission and pledging to appeal.
Forest argued their lack of recent Premier League history placed them at a disadvantage to other clubs and said the sale of Brennan Johnson to Tottenham, which went through last September after the end of the assessment period, was within the "spirit" of sustainability.
The club's appeal against their penalty was heard on April 24, but an appeal board decided to uphold the punishment, which was itself more lenient than that requested by the Premier League.
In a statement released on Monday, the Premier League said: "The PSR sanction applied to the assessment period ending in season 2022-23 and was appealed by the club on two grounds.
"The club argued that the independent commission committed an error in not treating its sale of a high-profile player shortly after the assessment period as a mitigating factor, and that it committed a further error in electing not to suspend some or all of the points deduction it imposed.
"Each of these grounds was rejected by the appeal board, which found the independent commission was entitled to immediately impose the sanction it did. The four-point deduction will therefore remain in place."
It means Forest stay 17th in the table with 29 points, having pulled three clear of 18th-placed Luton Town by beating already-relegated Sheffield United 3-1 on Saturday.
Nuno Espirito Santo's team face Chelsea and Burnley in their final two games of 2023-24, with Luton likely to need at least four points from meetings with West Ham and Fulham to overhaul them.
Burnley, down in 19th, need to win their last two matches – against Tottenham and Forest – to have any chance of avoiding the drop.
'Call it a day' – Casemiro told to quit Man Utd after hapless Palace display
Casemiro has been told to quit Manchester United after producing a dire display in Monday's 4-0 loss at Crystal Palace, with Jamie Carragher saying the Brazilian can no longer cut it at the top level.
United produced arguably their worst performance of the season on Monday, with Michael Olise scoring twice as Palace hammered Erik ten Hag's injury-hit side at Selhurst Park.
With Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof all sidelined, Casemiro played as a makeshift centre-back alongside Jonny Evans and endured a nightmare outing.
The Brazilian was beaten all too easily by Olise for Palace's opener, then was outmuscled by Daniel Munoz for Olise's second goal just after the hour mark.
Carragher believes the time has come for the five-time Champions League winner to step away from the top level, saying a move to MLS or the Saudi Pro League should be on the cards.
"I think Casemiro should know himself, as an experienced player, that he should only have three games left at a top level," Carragher said in his role as Sky Sports pundit.
"Then he should say, 'I'm going to head to MLS or Saudi'. His agent or the team around him need to tell him. We're watching one of the greats of the modern time.
"But I always remember something when I retired, a saying I'll always remember, 'leave the football before the football leaves you'.
"The football's left him at this top level. He needs to call it a day at this level of football and move."
Casemiro has struggled throughout his second season at Old Trafford. Last campaign, the former Real Madrid star won possession 8.68 times per 90 minutes, on average, in the Premier League, also managing 1.44 interceptions per game.
Both of those figures are down this term, with Casemiro only winning possession back 6.14 times and making 0.84 interceptions per 90 minutes.
Since the turn of the year, meanwhile, United have faced a Premier League-high 317 shots, while only West Ham (36.35), Luton Town (35.78), Burnley (31.88) and Sheffield United (31.6) have allowed opponents to generate more expected goals (xG) than their 31.47.
Ten Hag, however, refused to single out Casemiro for criticism after Monday's match, saying: "You can't put this down to one player, it's a team performance."
Casemiro has been dribbled past on 52 occasions in the Premier League this season, with only eight players being beaten by opponents more often in the competition.
Napoli determined to finish poor season on a high with European qualification
Napoli coach Francesco Calzona is determined to see the Partenopei finish the season on a high despite their European hopes being further hit by Monday's 1-1 draw with struggling Udinese.
Victor Osimhen nodded home to give Napoli the lead in the 51st minute before Udinese forward Isaac Success bundled in the leveller in stoppage time.
The result – which came on the same ground where Napoli clinched the Scudetto last season – leaves them nine points adrift of Atalanta and Roma, who sit fifth and sixth in Serie A respectively, with just nine to play for.
"Clearly I thought we could do better, without a doubt. Unfortunately that wasn't the case," Calzona told DAZN.
"We have to ask the management about the future of Napoli, it's clear that we have the qualities to do better.
"It was a disappointing and unfortunate year, but we absolutely must finish this championship on a high note."
Napoli had 50 points halfway through their Scudetto-winning 2022-23 campaign but have just 51 after 35 games this term, with their ambitions now limited to a Europa League spot.
Calzona says European qualification remains crucial as Napoli look ahead to 2024-25, adding: "Naples is a great place, perhaps after a year like this there will be many rumours circulating.
"But it is not a justification, I repeated that there is still a possibility of reaching Europe.
"We have improved a little, but it's not enough. We have to do more to win these games. We have also created, the team continues to have good possession, but at times it is sterile.
"But we have to be more incisive. In the second half we did it but we have to avoid the end of the game where it gets dirty".
Napoli next host fourth-placed Bologna on Saturday before they travel to Fiorentina, who are one point behind them in ninth and still have a game in hand.
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