Hull veteran Boateng admits great admiration of West Ham boss Zola
Hull City midfielder George Boateng admits he's a big fan of West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola.
Back in November 2002, a typically tasty challenge from the combative former Middlesbrough star left Zola in agony and his features in a mess.
Boateng recalled to The Sun: "Yeah, I had a few tussles with him. What a player Zola was. He gave the Premier League a new face but, as a manager, it's a lot harder.
"I remember I elbowed him once because he's so little. Where my elbow was, his face was there, too. I hurt him really bad, he was hurt proper. I spoke with him afterwards and he understood.
"When I saw him last year, he said he was pleased I wasn't playing because he didn't want to get kicked again! He's a fantastic bloke, though. He even organised for my family to go on holiday to Sardinia one year.
"He knew a great place over there and sorted it for me through my old mate Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. He got us a 10 per cent discount at this beautiful place we stayed. It was wonderful.
"It says everything about him that after what happened when I caught him in the face, he still found it in him to do something good for me."
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Results & Fixtures
Matches
| Home | Away | Score | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat May 19th | |||
| Blackpool | West Ham United | 1 - 2 | 14:00 |
Tables
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 46 | 27 | 8 | 11 | 28 | 89 |
| Southampton | 46 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 39 | 88 |
| West Ham United | 46 | 24 | 14 | 8 | 33 | 86 |
| Birmingham City | 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 27 | 76 |
| Blackpool | 46 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 75 |
| Cardiff City | 46 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 75 |
| Middlesbrough | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 70 |
| Hull City | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 3 | 68 |
| Leicester City | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 66 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 66 | |
| Watford | 46 | 16 | 16 | 14 | -8 | 64 |
| Derby County | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | -8 | 64 |
| Burnley | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 3 | 62 |
| Leeds United | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | -3 | 61 |
| Ipswich Town | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | -8 | 61 |
| Millwall | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | -2 | 57 |
| Crystal Palace | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | -5 | 56 |
| Peterborough United | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | -10 | 50 |
| Nottingham Forest | 46 | 14 | 8 | 24 | -15 | 50 |
| Nottingham Forest | 45 | 13 | 8 | 24 | -17 | 47 |
| Bristol City | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | -24 | 49 |
| Barnsley | 46 | 13 | 9 | 24 | -25 | 48 |
| Portsmouth | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | -9 | 40 |
| Coventry City | 46 | 9 | 13 | 24 | -24 | 40 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 8 | 12 | 26 | -37 | 36 |
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