Gianfranco Zola has been angered by David Sullivan's announcement in the national press that the entire West Ham staff would have to take a pay cut in the summer.
It is thought the manager and players, along with other club staff, will be asked by co-owners Sullivan and David Gold to take a 25 per cent cut to slash the club's £60-million wage bill.
Zola, the West Ham manager, criticised the timing of the revelation 24 hours before West Ham take on Birmingham City in the Premier League at St Andrew's tomorrow.
"The article should have been done at another time, not just before a match like tomorrow," Zola said. "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.Zola, who earns £1.9 million a year, revealed he had not spoken to the owners, nor had he been consulted about the issue.
"I am not here for the money," he said. "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."
Zola wants to concentrate on getting West Ham out of relegation trouble, but asked if the owners speak to the press too much, he said: "The match is all that matters to me and the players."
Sullivan, who saw the Hammers lose 2-1 against Burnley on Saturday, said it would be "Armageddon" if West Ham were relegated, but Zola is remaining positive. "Since I have been here it has been a repetition of speculation and problems," he said. "To be honest I'm fed up with that. I just want to carry on with football.
"The players are committed to what we are doing. They believe in it and are determined. The defeat against Burnley was unexpected and a big blow. But the fighting spirit is there and we will never give up."
Source:The Times
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