Zola unhappy over owners´ pay-cut talk

West Ham United coach Gianfranco Zola has criticised the club’s new owners for telling the British media the entire staff would have to take an end of season pay-cut.

Co-owner David Sullivan’s comments came just a day before Wednesday’s home match at Upton Park, where West Ham will look to climb out of the Premier League relegation zone against Birmingham City.

Sullivan and his business partner David Gold acquired a controlling stake in West Ham last month and the new owners have indicated the club’s finances are in an even worse state than they initially thought.

“It’ll be Armageddon if we go down,” Sullivan said on Tuesday.

“I can’t believe the contracts I’ve inherited. Every position is overpaid, whether in administration or on the playing side.

“Everyone at the club will be asked to take a salary cut in the summer. The club is in a mess and we all have to pull together. If we go down I can’t even consider the situation.”

But former Chelsea forward Zola, who earns a reported 1.9 million pounds (2.16 million euros) a year, said on Tuesday: “I think the article should have been done at another time, not just before a match like tomorrow.

“It would have been better to say that at another time and maybe talk to us before talking to a newspaper. That is my feeling.”

The Italian added: “Personally I can say I am not here for the money. Last year when I signed a contract I didn’t even know how much I was going to earn.

“I had a plan and a project and I liked what I was going to do. I didn’t know what I was going to earn and then after a while the club called me in about a new contract.

“It’s not about money. It is about working for something positive. I aways enjoy working for this club. The money was something that came after.”

Wednesday’s match has been given added spice by the fact that, until October, Sullivan and Gold were the owners of Birmingham before selling the Midlands club to Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung.

West Ham have taken two points from a possible nine since Sullivan and Gold took over while Birmingham have been the Premier League’s surprise side this term, rising to eighth in the table.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish refused to get engaged in a war of words with Gold, who said he wanted the Hammers to “whack” a Birmingham team that have lost just once in 15 league games.

“I understand there’s a few comments flying to and fro and it is an interesting game thrown up against the old owners,” McLeish said. “They need the points more than we do.

“I’ve been told what David Gold has said and that’s sent shivers down my spine!” the Scot joked.

“But, listen, the two Davids are in it for West Ham — and they have the quality in the squad, no doubt about it.”

The Hammers will be without new signing Benni McCarthy against City after the South Africa striker suffered a knee injury during last weekend’s 2-1 loss away to Burnley.