Hull owners Assem and Ehab Allam have refused to comment on rumours the club have suspended manager Nick Barmby over alleged comments he has made about the Tigers' finances.
Barmby, 38, who took over from predecessor Nigel Pearson in November, has stressed in recent weeks that team strengthening was vital if Hull were to mount a serious promotion challenge next season after missing out on the play-offs.
But speculation over the future of Barmby and head of football operations Adam Pearson was mounting after a brief club statement failed to confirm or deny the rumours.
In a statement the Allems said: "We are aware of the press speculation and we are not in a position to make any comment."The majority of fans have already expressed their outrage at Barmby's treatment on local radio, while a small minority believe the former Tigers player has antagonised the owners.
Barmby has insisted on several occasions in recent weeks that team strengthening was vital during the summer if Hull were to mount a serious promotion challenge and that he would be expecting financial support from the board.
The Allam family fortune has risen £130million to £417million in the last year and they have climbed to 214th in the UK Rich List.
Egyptian-born Assem, who owns generator firm Allam Marine in Melton, has ploughed £51million into the Tigers since taking control from Russell Bartlett in December 2010.
The Allams failed to buy the club's KC Stadium from Hull City Council last year and it is understood they were reluctant to make any further major investment in team strengthening, with head of football operations Pearson recently confirming most new summer arrivals would be free summer signings.
Barmby joined his hometown club as a player in 2004 following Leeds' relegation from the top flight and played a key role in the Tigers' rise to the Premier League in 2008.
The former Tottenham, Middlesbrough, Everton and Liverpool midfielder remained loyal to Hull following relegation and was made player/coach under previous manager Nigel Pearson during the 2010/11 season.
Pearson quit Hull to return to former club Leicester in November last year and local hero Barmby was installed as a popular caretaker-manager, steering the Tigers to an eighth-placed finish, seven points adrift of the top six.
