West Ham United star Kurt Zouma will not be investigated by the Metropolitan Police after a video of him kicking a cat across the kitchen surfaced online, Sky Sports report.
The Sun had released the disturbing footage on Monday night (February 7) as Zouma dropped his pet and kicked it across the kitchen floor.
The 27-year-old’s brother is believed to have filmed the incident inside the defender’s home before posting it to Snapchat on Sunday afternoon, just a day after West Ham’s FA Cup fourth-round win at Kidderminster.
His club have since condemned his actions and have said the matter will be dealt with internally.
Their statement read: “West Ham United unreservedly condemns the actions of our player, Kurt Zouma, in the video that has circulated.
“We have spoken to Kurt and will be dealing with the matter internally, but we would like to make it clear that we in no way condone cruelty towards animals.”
Animal welfare charity the RSPCA also condemned Zouma’s actions as they reiterated how important it is to report any suspected animal suffering.
“We are so grateful to people who report suspected animal suffering to us and we would like to reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare.”
Meanwhile, the former Chelsea ace insists that the attack was an isolated incident and has apologised for his wrongdoing.
“I also want to say how deeply sorry I am to anyone who was upset by the video,” he said. “I would like to assure everyone that our two cats are perfectly fine and healthy.
“They are loved and cherished by our entire family, and this behaviour was an isolated incident that will not happen again.”