Manchester United’s FA Cup win isn’t just good news for Louis van Gaal and his team.
West Ham United will also be celebrating, having secured a place in next season’s Europa League thanks to the result.
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
— David Gold (@davidgold) May 21, 2016
West Ham dropped out of the top six on the final day of the Premier League season, having been there since February, but the two Manchester clubs winning the two domestic cups means Slaven Bilic’s team will be back in Europe.
There’s one small problem, though. Their shiny new stadium might not be ready in time for the first game.
West Ham are due to make their Olympic Stadium bow in a friendly against Juventus on August 7, but the third qualifying round begins 10 days earlier.
According to the Daily Mail, the stadium will be available to West Ham from August 1, meaning they may need to request special dispensation from UEFA to play the first leg away from home.
Still, it could be worse. Last season saw the club enter the competition in the first qualifying round, welcoming FC Lusitans to the Boleyn Ground on July 2. Now that would definitely have been too early.
West Ham will enter the competition at the same stage as the likes of Fiorentina, Lille and Celta Vigo.
Manchester United’s cup final win also means Southampton, who pipped Bilic’s team to sixth place by one point, will go straight into the group stages for the 2016/17 competition.
