• New owners confirm Gianfranco Zola will stay as manager• Champions League and move to Olympic Stadium on agendaDavid Sullivan and David Gold have completed their takeover of West Ham United, buying 50% of the club with an option to aquire the remaining 50%. The duo, who sold Birmingham City to Carson Yeung this season, confirmed the Hammers takeover in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live and also said that Gianfranco Zola would definitely stay on as the club's manager."We will spell out the book we are taking over, " he said. "The imbalance in the squad and the crazy wages the Icelandics were paying that brought the club to its knees."Sullivan also confirmed that Karren Brady, who was managing director at Birmingham, will become vice-chairman at Upton Park. He then told Sky Sports that the club was in a 'serious mess': "I don't think we would have bought West Ham it we weren't fans. It is a serious mess there but we are West Ham fans and it is nice to see that we beat off two foreign investors.""Zola is absolutely staying. I can say that categorically," Sullivan added and revealed that he wants to take West Ham into the Champions League in the next decade. "We have a seven-year plan to get them into the Champions League," he said. "We are deeply and passionateely involved in West Ham. It is where I have wanted to be for 20 years. We have done [what we have done] in a way that is good for Birmingham and we have got the club we wanted. Over the next seven years we will spend a lot of money.Sullivan said that part of their plan for the future of West Ham would be to move from Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium. "It is the natural home for West Ham."We have bought 50% of the club and it went on the midnight last night. We, or i, have an option to buy the remaining 50%. It is nice to have east end people in charge of West Ham, it is nice to get the club back in the hands of east London."West Ham is a bigger club than Birmingham with bigger aspirations and I appreciate that we have to achieve a lot more."Sullivan and Gold became the favourites to buy the east London club after their rival Tony Fernandes, chief executive of AirAsia and team principal of the new Lotus F1 team, pulled out of the race.West Ham UnitedPremier LeagueMarcus Christensonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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