February 09, (THEWILL) – After being caught on camera kicking and slapping his pet cats, Kurt Zouma was fined two weeks’ salary and his pets were taken away by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).
The West Ham defender came under fire recently, when a video surfaced on social media of him beating his kitties at home and it was uncertain if he would lose his place in the starting lineup as a consequence.
Before being picked in the first XI for Tuesday’s match against Watford, Zouma expressed his “deep regret” for the incident, saying: “I want to apologise for my actions. There are no excuses for my behaviour, which I sincerely regret.”
However, RSPCA and West Ham decided to still take action after more than 150,000 people signed a petition demanding that Zouma be prosecuted.
According to a representative for the RSPCA: “The two cats are now in RSPCA care. Our priority is and has always been the wellbeing of these cats. They’ve been taken for a check-up at a vets and then will remain in our care while the investigation continues.”
West Ham have fined Zouma “the maximum amount possible”, which is apparently two weeks’ salaries in the amount of £250,000, and the money has been donated to animal charity, according to the club. Meanwhile, the Essex Police is collaborating with the RSPCA and conducting “urgent enquiries” into the incident.
Following Zouma’s start against Watford, one of West Ham’s sponsors, Experience Kissimmee, has stated that they will be “evaluating our relationship” with the team. But, David Moyes, the manager of the Hammers, justified his decision, claiming he is only concerned about winning games.
“It’s something we’re all disappointed with and something we can’t understand,” Moyes said.
“He’ll learn from it, [but] today I had to pick a football team that gave me the best chance of winning the game as manager of West Ham.”
During the 1-0 triumph at the London Stadium, both sets of fans booed Zouma.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
