"?West Ham United co-chairman David Gold has confirmed that the club plans to take the Europa League seriously in 2016/17, citing the example of Liverpool coming within one game of being able to use the competition as a platform for the Champions League.
The Hammers were handed entry into the Europa League for the second straight season after Manchester United beat Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at the weekend and ensured the place set aside for that competition would go to the next highest Premier League finisher.
"We should take this competition seriously and we are good enough to win it," Gold told WHUFC.com.
The Hammers were eliminated in the third qualifying round by Astra Giurgiu last July, having already seen off Lusitanos and Birkirkara of Andorra and Malta respectively in two previous rounds. This time, Slaven Bilic's team kick off the European adventure in the third round.
"Liverpool showed it is possible to go all the way and they were very unlucky to lose in the final. They could have been in the Champions League next season," Gold went on to explain.
Congratulations Man Unt. I'm sorry for all my friends at Crystal Palace but West Ham are in the Europa League a great end to our season. dg
"It will also be another great opportunity for our young players to get European experience and a number of them showed their quality when we played in the early rounds last summer. They are now a year older and have more experience under their belt so will be better equipped to deal with the pressures of playing in such a big competition.
"We will also have new signings coming into the squad who will also make the squad stronger and it will be another great opportunity for us to challenge for major silverware and a Champions League position."
I would be surprised if a supporter of West Ham would want to return his ticket for the game against Juventus. dg https://t.co/9GfUd9hnE6
In a twist that has annoyed some fans, Europa League commitments will now see the friendly with Juventus, planned for 7th August to formally 'open' the Olympic Stadium, to become the second game the Hammers play at their new home.
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