Kurt Zouma was fined £250,000 by West Ham (PA)
BY Ahmad Sahabi
Kurt Zouma, West Ham defender, has landed in troubled waters after a video of him mistreating his pet cat went viral on social media.
In the viral footage that emerged on February 7, the 27-year-old French footballer was seen booting his cat like a football across his kitchen floor with a pair of designer shoes.
Zouma was also seen slapping his pet’s face as the cat frantically tried to get away amid laughter in the background.
Ever since the video went viral, the West Ham defender has been at the receiving end of social media backlash, while over 150,000 people have signed an online petition calling for him to be prosecuted.
Zouma’s two cats have also been rescued by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).
“We’d like to reassure people that we’re investigating and the cats are safe and in our care,” it wrote on Twitter.
“We have been dealing with this since before the clip went viral online and we need to follow the proper legal process and not discuss due to UK GDPR laws.”
Although the Hammers defender has issued an apology over the incident, the Premier League club condemned Zouma’s actions, adding that the matter will be dealt with internally.
In a statement on Wednesday, West Ham said the Frenchman will be fined “the maximum amount possible” and the fee will be donated to animal welfare charities.
The club also said Zouma is “co-operating fully” with the RSPCA’s investigation.
“West Ham United can confirm that the club is supporting an RSPCA investigation into the actions of Kurt Zouma in the video circulated online this week,” the statement read.
“Kurt and the club are co-operating fully with the investigation and the player has willingly complied with the steps taken in the initial stage of the process, including delivering his family’s two cats to the RSPCA for assessment.
“Kurt is extremely remorseful and, like everyone at the club, fully understands the depth of feeling surrounding the incident and the need for action to be taken.
“Separate to the RSPCA’s investigation and pending further sanction once the outcome of that process is determined, West Ham United can confirm that Kurt Zouma has been fined the maximum amount possible following his actions in the video that circulated. The player has immediately accepted the fine, which will be donated to animal welfare charities.
“West Ham United would like to reiterate our condemnation of Kurt’s actions and make it clear that the matter continues to be handled with the utmost seriousness. However, we believe it is now important to allow the RSPCA to conduct their investigation in a fair and thorough manner, and will be making no further comment at this stage.”
Also reacting, Experience Kissimmee, West Ham sponsor, said “due to recent events” it would end its deal with the club.
The footballer also lost his sponsorship deal with Vitality, the health-based company, while Adidas, the German sportswear firm, announced that it had ended its contract with the French player.
“We have concluded our investigation and can confirm Kurt Zouma is no longer an Adidas-contracted athlete,” said the company.
Zouma has also been dropped from the West Ham squad and is set to miss Sunday’s Premier League clash against Leicester City.
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