ZOUMA AND WEST HAM LOSE SPONSORSHIP DEALS AS SITUATION CONTINUES TO SNOWBALL
West Ham defender Kurt Zouma went viral on social media this week after a video surfaced on the internet of him kicking and slapping one of his two cats. The video, filmed by Zouma’s brother Yoan and posted on Snapchat, shows Zouma dropping the cat and booting it across the kitchen floor. The former Chelsea man then chases the animal and hurls designer shoes at the pet before he finally slaps it out of the arms of a child.
The French international has since issued a public apology saying: “I want to apologize for my actions. There are no excuses for my behavior, which I sincerely regret. I also want to say how deeply sorry I am to anyone who was upset by the video. 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 behavior was an isolated incident that will not happen again.”
German apparel company Adidas which sponsored the 27-year-old center back has since dropped him after “investigating the incident internally”. “No animal should be subject to cruel and unwarranted abuse,” they said prior to announcing on Wednesday that they are no longer working with the defender. “We have concluded our investigation,” the company said in a statement, “and can confirm Kurt Zouma is no longer an Adidas contracted athlete.”
Zouma losing sponsorship is the second financial hit that the defender has suffered from this incident. West Ham announced on Wednesday that they had also fined the defender two weeks’ salary, an amount to the tune of £250,000. “Separate to RSPCA’s investigation and pending further sanction once the outcome of the process is determined, West Ham can confirm that Kurt Zouma been fined the maximum amount possible,” the club said. “The player has immediately accepted the fine, which will be donated to animal welfare charities.”
The club had initially condemned Kurt Zouma’s actions, saying, “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.”
West Ham said that Zouma 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.” The club went on to say that they believe it is important for the RSPCA to conduct a fair and thorough investigation and will not be making further comments.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), a UK animal welfare charity, has since removed the two cats and confirmed the safety of the cats in their care. The victim cat, a Bengal, is one of the rarest and most expensive domesticated cats with a kitten costing as much as up to £2000. They then confirmed that they will not be discussing the incident due to UK law.
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “Our priority is and has always been the well-being 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. We’re grateful to everyone who expressed their concern for these cats. We were dealing with this issue before the video went viral online and are leading the investigation. We continue to investigate so we cannot comment further at this time.”
Essex Police confirmed that the matter is still under investigation via a spokesperson: “We are aware of video circulating on social media relating to an incident involving a cat which members of our communities may find distressing. We have recently been made aware that this incident may have taken place in Essex. We’re liaising with RSPCA and urgent inquiries are ongoing.”
Player Football Association chief executive, Maheta Molango verbally passed the matter on to the DCMS Select Committee, responding: “It is not for us to discipline him, it is for the employer to discipline, but our role is to tell the player this type of behavior is not acceptable.”
It was thought to be highly unlikely that Kurt Zouma would be involved in West Ham’s Tuesday match against Watford but manager, David Moyes, started the defender in their 1-0 win. Zouma was booed pretty well every time he touched the ball and Watford fans could be heard chanting, “That’s how your cat feels” when he fell to the floor with injury.
West Ham’s wellness partner Vitality, has suspended its sponsorship of West Ham United with immediate effect. They said,” We were very distressed by the video we have seen of Kurt Zouma. At Vitality, we condemn animal cruelty and violence of any kind. We are hugely disappointed by the judgment subsequently shown by the club in response to this incident. As such, we are suspending our sponsorship of West Ham United with immediate effect. We will now be further engaging with the club to understand what actions they will be taking to address the situation.”
Another West Ham sponsor, Experience Kissimmee, had announced earlier that they were evaluating their relationship and partnership with the club.
They went on to confirm that they had ended their sponsorship of the club 24 hours later.
The company said prior to announcing the end of its sponsorship that it was “disheartening to learn that the player…was part of the starting lineup in West Ham’s game (against Watford).” They then went on to say that they strongly condemn the actions of the player and that the organization does not condone animal cruelty in any way.
One West Ham sponsor, however, has decided not to act on the incident. Scope Markets, West Ham’s sleeve sponsor, and the club’s Official Online Trading Partner have declined to act based on the incident and have said, “Scope Markets, like West Ham United, do not condone cruelty to animals in any form. Our relationship with West Ham United is on a purely club level, and we have full faith in the club to deal with the issue internally.”
Dr Maggie Roberts, of the charity Cats Protection, said: “Any person seen or suspected of treating an animal badly, whether this is physical violence, neglect or any other form of cruelty should be reported to the RSPCA. The police work closely with the RSPCA to investigate cases of animal cruelty. Cats are sentient beings and experience pain and fear. Beating up a cat will only cause it to suffer physically and mentally. We noticed that some people viewing the video online thought it was funny. We can assure them that this is not a laughing matter.”
The incident has seen millions of people weigh in, including former UFC Champion Jan Blachowicz. Blachowicz held the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship title from 2020 to 2021. He wrote on Twitter, “If you are so tough MF’er, @KurtZouma try to kick me… No tolerance for animal cruelty.”
An animal rights group in France, the 30 Million Friends Foundation, condemned the “heinous act” and called for Zouma to be suspended from the national team. Defending world champions France play Ivory Coast and South Africa next in international friendlies at the end of March.
A petition on change.org calling for Kurt Zouma to be prosecuted has reached over 250,000 signatures after Met Police said they had decided not to investigate the video. The petition urges Met Police to “carry out an urgent investigation” of the defender and take action.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero