JAKARTA - West Ham United defender Kurt Zouma has become a conversation on social media because his actions are considered to hurt animals. Zouma has even come under fire from the public and from his own club.
Reporting from Sky Sport, Tuesday, February 8, the incident began with a short video circulating on Twitter. In the 37-second clip, Zouma is seen holding a Bengal cat inside his house, then drops the cat on the floor and kicks it like he's kicking a ball.
Not only that, there was also another moment when the French player threw his cat with a shoe, causing the cat to run away. The video was allegedly recorded by his younger brother, Yoan Zouma who is also a footballer.
Sadly, the two brothers filmed the action as if it was a joke. This has made them the target of criticism, including from the RSPCA, the UK's animal protection charity.
Not only did it draw criticism from the public, West Ham United as the club where Zouma played also intervened. They took firm steps to condemn the actions of the 27-year-old defender.
"West Ham United condemns Kurt Zouma's actions in the video that went viral," The Hammers said in a statement, quoted by Sky Sports.
"We have spoken to Kurt and will address this issue internally, but we can confirm we absolutely do not condone animal cruelty," the statement said.
With the harsh criticism of Zouma, he finally apologized and guaranteed his cat was in good health.
"I want to apologize profusely to anyone who is upset about the video circulating. I want to reassure everyone that our two cats are fine and in good health," said Zouma.
"Both are loved by our families, and this behavior is an incident that will not happen again in the future," said Zouma.
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