West Ham were widely criticised for starting Kurt Zouma on Tuesday night after footage emerged of him kicking his cat in his kitchen — with manager David Moyes explaining he is ‘one of our better players’.
The Premier League club had released a statement in which they ‘unreservedly condemned’ the player’s abuse of his pet, adding they ‘in no way condone cruelty towards animals’. Yet they then started the 27-year-old Frenchman against Watford.
Zouma’s name was booed when read out at the London Stadium and he was jeered on the ball by Watford supporters. The away end also chanted ‘RSPCA’ towards the £29.8million defender.
It is understood Zouma knew he would be starting from midday, despite the outrage towards him and his brother, Yoan, the Dagenham & Redbridge player who is said to have filmed the video before posting it on Snapchat.
Zouma apologised after being caught on camera kicking, slapping and chasing his cat in his home, insisting it was an ‘isolated incident that will not happen again’.
West Ham will hold an internal disciplinary hearing and it is expected any fine will be donated to the RSPCA, who are holding their own investigation and liaising with Essex Police.
Moyes defended his decision to start Zouma, saying he made it on purely football terms as he had to 'pick the best team' possible. Asked if the video had any influence, the Scot said: ‘No, because he is one of our better players. But it is certainly ongoing and the club are dealing with it, so that is a separate matter.’
Moyes said he himself is an 'animal lover' and that he had seen the video. 'I'm really disappointed (with Zouma),' he continued. 'We didn't see that in his character.
'The club have taken all the actions they can do. They're working on that behind the scenes. My job is to try to pick a team – the best team – and Kurt was part of that team.
'I'm a big animal lover and I think it's something which will have affected a lot of people. My job was to try to win for West Ham and put the best team out.'
Quizzed on whether, in hindsight, he thinks he made the wrong decision, Moyes said: 'My feeling was Kurt's apologised and I understand people won't accept just an apology. But to me, he came out, said that (apology), very honestly and, as I said before, I had to do my job then. That job was to pick the best team I possible could.
'Overall my job was to try to find a way of getting a win for West Ham. There will be people disappointed with that and I understand that totally.'
The decision to start Zouma could cost the club, with sponsors Experience Kissimmee saying they are now evaluating their relationship with West Ham.
Adidas, who signed a deal with Zouma in the summer, have not severed ties with him. In a statement, the sportswear brand confirmed they were holding an internal investigation into the ‘deeply upsetting’ footage.
Zouma is considered the best central defender at West Ham, who are pushing for a top-four finish in the Champions League. Issa Diop was on the substitutes’ bench, but he struggled against non-league Kidderminster Harriers in the FA Cup on Saturday and was substituted by Moyes at half-time.
The debate over whether he should have been axed from the squad dominated the build-up to the game, with most saying he should have been dropped.
Former West Ham centre back James Collins said it was the wrong call to start him on BBC Radio 5Live. Sanjay Bhandari, the head of anti-racism group Kick It Out, said: ‘When people say (mostly unfairly) that football has no morals, this is the kind of decision that gives that view fuel.’
Asked if he was surprised to see Zouma start, Watford manager Roy Hodgson said: 'That's not my business.'
niwbkprtuz
1
The cat issue have nothing to do with the.club. Let the authority do their job to lynch him.