By Safiu Kehinde
West Ham United boss, David Moyes has made known his intention to involve embattled defender, Kurt Zouma in the club’s next clash against Leicester City this weekend amid the cat abuse scandal surrounding the player.
Kurt Zouma became the subject of hate after a video of him kicking his cat went viral last week. The Frenchman was recorded by his younger brother Yoan who is currently facing a suspension spell at his club, Dagenham & Redbridge.
To the dismay of both home and away fans, David Moyes started Zouma in their last match against Watford. The 27-year-old was heavily booed by the fans during the match which West Ham won.
In an attempt to appease the aggrieved fans and concerned communities, West Ham placed a heavy £250,000 fine on the former Chelsea man. This, however, was unsatisfactory to the fans and communities who accused West Ham of handling the case with leniency, considering the huge amount Zouma earns per week.
Rather than reliving the pressure, West Ham’s decision made the matter worse for the club and the player himself. Aside losing his two cats to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), Zouma also lost his boot sponsorship deal with Addidas. For West Ham, they had their fair share of Moyes’ decision as they lost two sponsors – Vitality and Experience Kissimmee.
“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 judgement subsequently shown by the club in response to this incident. We are suspending our sponsorship of West Ham with immediate effect,” Vitality, West Ham’s wellness partner had tweeted as they suspended their sponsorship deal with the club.
Experience Kissimme also announced the end of their sponsorship deal with West Ham on account of the incident.
However, this didn’t stop David Moyes from making known a possible selection of Zouma into the team that will face Leicester City on Sunday.
“He is available to play. There are different views on whether he should be available. We decided he should. I stand by that,” Moyes told the press.
