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Zola: I'm staying with Hammers

Author: Rose Young
Date: 30/03/2010
Football betting

Gianfranco Zola has vowed to fight on as West Ham United manager despite admitting he was considering his future in the wake of Saturday's defeat to Stoke City.

The Italian admitted after the 1-0 defeat at Upton Park, which left the ailing Hammers outside the relegation places on goal difference alone, that he needed to think long and hard about his future at Upton Park.

But after returning home to Sardinia in the aftermath of the disappointment, Zola has now revealed that he intends to fight on at the helm of the east London club.

"I am determined to carry on. Losing on Saturday was emotional for everyone but I know we can turn it around and we have the ability to achieve our objectives," he said in statement.

Will Gianfranco Zola keep West Ham in the Premier League this season? - Latest Football Betting

Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand have both travelled with the Manchester United squad for Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich.

Rooney (foot) and Ferdinand (groin) missed Saturday's 4-0 Premier League rout of Bolton Wanderers with minor niggles.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson suggested in his post-match press conference that both players would be fit for the first leg at the Allianz Arena and the pair travelled out to Germany with the rest of the squad on Monday morning.

United are second favourites behind Barcelona in the online betting to win this season's Champions League.

Ivory Coast have confirmed the appointment of former England boss Sven Goran-Eriksson ahead of the World Cup Finals.

The Swede has been charged with ensuring the Elephants make an 'honourable' impression on the tournament in South Africa.

Eriksson led the Three Lions to successive World Cup quarter-finals in 2002 and 2006 before leaving his post.

The Swede had most recently been employed as the director of football at Notts County before leaving in February following the collapse of their ambitions project to reach the Premier League.

In Formula One, team principal Martin Whitmarsh has admitted McLaren could have been celebrating an Australian Grand Prix one-two had they not made a mistake with Lewis Hamilton's pit-stop strategy.

Jenson Button won Sunday's race at Albert Park but the talk in the paddock afterwards was Hamilton's frustration with his own team after criticising their decision to call him in from third place for a new set to slick tyres.

Hamilton failed to finish the race after a collision with Mark Webber cost him any chance of points.

Afterwards he claimed he 'deserved better' after 'driving his heart out' and Whitmarsh has now conceded that a mistake was probably made with the 2008 world champion's strategy.

"With the information we had at the time, given where Lewis was, we felt that it was the right call," he explained.

"I think in retrospect and hindsight, if we look at how the race played out - if Lewis could have made those tyres last then he could have finished at least second today and we would have a one-two."

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