By Jason Burt
Published: 7:30AM BST 07 Oct 2009
Napoli confirmed that they had sacked coach Roberto Donadoni, and are hoping to exploit the growing tension between West Ham's owners, CB Holdings, and the management trio of Zola, technical director Gianluca Nani and chief executive Scott Duxbury.
Zola, Nani and Duxbury are close to each other and have formed a strong triumvirate at West Ham, but they have grown frustrated at the lack of backing they feel they have received from CB Holdings, a company set up by the Icelandic bank Straumur and other creditors to take control of the club after the collapse of the business empire of previous owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson.
Napoli appointed Walter Mazzarri as Donadoni's replacement on Tuesday, but it is understood that the Serie A club's highly-ambitious owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, an Italian film producer, is prepared to make another change next summer, or even before then, should Zola decide to leave West Ham.
Zola, Nani and Duxbury had hoped that the transfer of West Ham's ownership from Gudmundsson to CB Holdings would provide a period of financial stability, after a highly traumatic time, until a new investor could be found.
All three accept that the club have to be self-financing and have, indeed, championed a business model along the lines of a document drawn up by Duxbury, the so-called "Football Project", of developing young talent and selling older players.
However there was a great deal of frustration towards the end of the summer transfer window after it appeared that CB Holdings was going to veto a move for £6 million signing Alessandro Diamanti, from Livorno, who Zola had been trying to secure all summer.
Indeed such was the tension that the manager, along with Nani and Duxbury, made a strong stand and said that the striker had to be signed or they would consider their positions.
At the same time CB Holdings insisted that West Ham had to sell to help finance any such deal, hence the £5 million departure of James Collins to Aston Villa and the attempts to sell Matthew Upson for some £15 million, which almost led to a move to Liverpool. Efforts to sign striker Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux for £7 million were frustrated.
Napoli made an approach to Nani, the former general manager of Brescia, last week to ask him if he would like to take over as their technical director and, it is understood, they have also now inquired about Zola and Duxbury having received strong endorsements for both men.
All three are believed to have made it clear that they are determined to stay at West Ham for now, but the frustrations over Straumur mean that it cannot be ruled out that they will, eventually, decide to leave.
Napoli have been impressed by the 'project' undertaken by the trio and want to replicate that. Zola, of course, is a hero at the Italian club having won the Serie A title in his first season as a player at Napoli, along with Diego Maradona, and the Italian Super Cup in his second. Although a return to Italy for him, and for Nani, would be no great surprise, it would be unique for an Italian club to employ a British chief executive as well, should they manage to lure Duxbury.
Napoli sacked Donadoni who, ironically, had been West Ham's first choice as manager until they held talks with Zola, after they lost to Roma on Sunday. It was their fourth defeat in seven league matches, leaving them 15th in the Serie A table with De Laurentiis having pledged to turn them into a top-three club.
West Ham have also made a disappointing start to the season and lie 19th in the Premier League table.
In fairness to Straumur they accept there have been problems out of the control of Zola, Nani and Duxbury while reports that there has been tension between the trio could not be further from the truth. They remain extremely close as Zola stated after the 2-2 draw with Fulham on Sunday.
Straumur are actively looking for a buyer, and want well in excess of £100 million, although this would include taking on the club's debts of around £45 million.
How Zola's West Ham bubble burst:
- West Ham won the opening game of the season against Wolves but have gained just five points from seven games, equalling their worst start to a Premier League campaign.
- The club received four FA charges after Carling Cup victory over Millwall on Aug 25 was marred by “large-scale trouble” in which a man was stabbed in the chest outside Upton Park.
- Zola admits he is unsure if injury-plagued striker Dean Ashton will return this season.
- Despite assurances from club owners Straumur, lack of transfer funds have forced Zola and chief executive Duxbury into a strategy of developing young talent.
- In fact, Duxbury, the chief executive, and Nani, the technical director, needed to take a small pay cut to fund the wages of Guillermo Franco, a forward and free agent.
- Concerns remain over the Upton Park side’s long-term financial stability with potential new owners circling, including former Birmingham shareholder David Sullivan, who despite playing down the idea of a takeover bid on Tuesday, is watching developments closely
