West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola and first-team coach Steve Clarke accepted undisclosed libel damages from the BBC Tuesday over an interview in which it was claimed the pair were planning to become the new management team at Chelsea.
The interview, with football reporter Harry Harris, was broadcast by BBC Radio Five Live in February. In it, Harris claimed Zola and Clarke had recently been interviewed by Chelsea s owner Roman Abramovich with a view to taking over at Chelsea next season.
The BBC acknowledged that the claims made by Harris were unfounded, apologised to the two coaches and agreed to pay their legal costs and damages.
James Quartermaine, representing Zola and Clarke, told the court: The broadcast of this unfounded allegation caused Mr Zola and Mr Cla…