Kurt Zouma: Football reacts to storm following West Ham star after controversial cat video

• A large section of football fans now say Kurt Zouma’s punishment and loss of endorsement deals for kicking and slapping his cat is a bit too harsh
• Zouma went viral for the wrong reasons on Tuesday after a disturbing video of the West Ham star physically mistreating his pet cat went viral
• Since then, the Frenchman has lost several endorsement deals and has been heavily fined by West Ham, as the club fights to retain some of its lucrative sponsors

As the story of Kurt Zouma continues to gain traction on the internet, football fans and online users, in general, have come out with varying reactions to the repercussions that are now following the West Ham star.

Zouma is in all sorts of trouble, days after a video emerged online of the defender kicking and slapping his pet cat.

What followed was heavy back clash, with a majority of fans calling out the former Chelsea man for animal cruelty.

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For that reason, it came as a surprise to many when West Ham boss David Moyes decided to start Zouma for the Premier League clash against Watford only hours after the video hit the web.

Moyes defended the decision, saying it was made from a football perspective and not necessarily a humanitarian one.

When asked if the video had any influence on his decision to start Zouma, Moyes 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."

Zouma’s woes rage on

Since the video went viral, there have been costly ripple effects, all revolving around Zouma.

The most sensational one was the one involving apparel company Addidas, who severed their ties with the defender.

West Ham also announced that Zouma was fined “the maximum amount possible”.

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On Thursday, The Guardian reported that Experience Kissimmee, the tourism authority for Osceola County, Florida, was also considering their relationship with West Ham after the Zouma incident.

Animal charity the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) also confirmed that they had taken away the superstar’s pet cats

In addition, 150,000 people have filed a petition online to have Zouma prosecuted, while West Ham's sponsors, Vitality also suspended their deal with the club.

Double standards? Football reacts

Amid the storm that is following Zouma, a large section of fans now feel that the punishments are a bit too harsh.

Zouma was trending number 1 on Thursday, with many fans now bringing to perspective the fact that some football stars have had worse cases of controversy with way lesser repercussions.

“If Harry Kane had kicked his cat would he have been given the same treatment as Kurt Zouma?” one fan asked.

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“Terminating Zouma contract but pampering others for a different act, how do we get here?” another added.

“Would they terminate Mbappe's contract for kicking a cat though?” said another.

“Terminating Kurt Zouma's contract was also about the player's stature. There's no way Adidas will terminate Messi's or Pogba's contract for kicking a cat,” a user identified as @Hustleuthman_ said.