French national soccer player Kurt Zouma has come under heavy criticism for abusing a cat in front of the camera. A video that has been circulating on the Internet shows the defender of English Premier League club West Ham United hugging his cat kicks and throws shoes at a soccer ball.
In another scene, he violently slaps the animal in the face with the palm of his hand.
Meanwhile, laughter can be heard in the background.
West Ham issued a statement after the video surfaced.
"We unreservedly condemn the actions of our player, Kurt Zouma, in the circulating video," the letter said.
The club spoke to the 27-year-old and announced that they would deal with the incident "internally".
However, West Ham made it clear "that we in no way condone violence against animals".
Meanwhile, Zouma also released a statement.
"I would like to apologize for my actions," he said. "There are no excuses for my behavior, which I sincerely regret." Zouma assured that "both of our cats are fine and perfectly healthy."
The animals were "loved and appreciated" by the family, and his act was a "single incident that will not happen again."
The animal rights group RSPCA described the video as "very upsetting" and it is "never acceptable" to kick or hit an animal, a spokesman said.
A statement from the association on Twitter said that many references to the video had been received.