West Ham striker Michail Antonio has questioned whether team mate Kurt Zouma’s cat abuse video is “worse than racism”.
Zouma was videoed dropping and kicking his pet cat, which led to widespread outrage on Monday after the video was released by The Sun.
The French defender was not investigated by Metropolitan Police but has since had his cats removed by the RSPCA and fined £250,000 by the Hammers.
Asked about the current situation by Sky Sports News, Antonio said: “Do you think what he’s done is worse than racism? I’m not condoning a thing that he’s done but there are people who have been convicted and caught for racism and have played football afterwards.
“They got punished, but people are now calling for people to be sacked and lose their livelihood. I’ve just got to ask this question to everyone out there, is what he’s done worse than what the people have done who have been convicted of racism.”
Zouma was controversially included in West Ham’s line-up during their 1-0 victory over Watford on Tuesday, with fans questioning why the defender hadn’t faced any punishment from David Moyes.
The lack of reaction from the Hammers has led to West Ham sponsor Experience Kissimmee ending their deal with the club “due to recent events.”
Zouma has also lost his deal with German sportwear brand Adidas and released a statement saying: “I want to apologise for my actions. There are no excuses for my behaviour, 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 behaviour was an isolated incident that will not happen again.”
Comments