West Ham’s Kurt Zouma lost his Adidas sponsorship deal for abusing his pet cat as the RSPCA charity said it had taken two animals into their custody. On Wednesday, West Ham imposed a fine of the “maximum amount possible” on Zouma for the allegation.

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“We have concluded our investigation and can confirm Kurt Zouma is no longer an adidas contracted athlete,” a statement from Adidas read. 

The awful incident had
happened on Tuesday during West Ham’s 1-0 victory against Watford. Zouma’s
behaviour has been widely condemned after a video emerged of him dropping,
kicking and slapping the cat.

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The RSPCA animal welfare
organisation termed his act as “very upsetting” and is leading the
investigation while cooperating with the police.

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In the wake of the incident,
over 200,000 people have signed an online petition calling for Zouma to be
prosecuted as the public backlash intensifies in a country renowned for its
love of animals.

Zouma is extremely
remorseful: West Ham

On Wednesday, West Ham
issued a fresh statement saying Zouma was complying with the RSPCA, including
delivering his two cats to the charity for assessment.

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“Kurt 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 said.

“Separate to the
RSPCA’s investigation and pending further sanction once the outcome of that
process is determined, West Ham United can confirm that Kurt Zouma has been
fined the maximum amount possible following his actions in the video that
circulated.

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“The player has
immediately accepted the fine and has requested that it is donated to animal
welfare charities.”

West Ham impose a huge
fine on the footballer

According to BBC, West Ham imposed a fine of $340,000, with standard Premier League contracts
allowing for a maximum fine of two weeks’ wages.

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The RSPCA, which is working
with police on the case, tweeted that the cats were “safe and in our
care”.

“Our priority is and
has always been the wellbeing of these cats,” said a spokesman.
“They’ve been taken for a check-up at a vets and then will remain in our
care while the investigation continues.

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“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.”