The West Ham manager, Gianfranco Zola, has been told his job is safe following former Birmingham City owners David Sullivan and David Gold's takeover of the Premier League strugglers. After finalising a 50 per cent acquisition of the east London club, which they valued at £105million (Dh630m), joint-chairmen Sullivan and Gold, have pledged Zola would have the time and finances to turn Upton Park fortunes around.
"Zola is absolutely staying," said Sullivan. "The club needs stability after all the recent upheavals. I will be sitting down with him to work on some transfers, as we realise as fans that the team needs a few additions." Sullivan confirmed that former Birmingham managing director Karren Brady has been installed as West Ham's new vice-chairman. Brady, tasked with preserving West Ham's top-flight status this term, is expected to oversee plans for a new stadium and to secure Champions League participation within a decade.
"We have short-term and long-term goals," said Sullivan. "We want to stay in the Premier League and in the long term we would like to be challenging for the top four and Champions League football; we have a seven-year plan to get there. "We plan to spend a lot of money and hope to persuade the government to let us move to the new Olympic Stadium. I believe the people of east London would support that move."
A lifelong West Ham fan, Sullivan admitted stabilising the club financially was a concern. "We are deeply and passionately involved with West Ham but we're taking on a huge task at a club with enormous problems," he said. "It will take time for us to turn it around. We will be honest with the fans about the books, the imbalance of the squad and the crazy wages the Icelandic owners paid out which have brought the club to its knees.
"This is an important day for us. For 20 years, this is the club we wanted." @Email:emegson@thenational.ae
