Zouma was booed by both the West Ham and Watford supporters during The Hammers 1-0 win at home. What shocked many on social media was that Zouma was placed in the starting lineup for the match, to which many fans noted how “tone deaf” West Ham United was on the matter.

The incident of the player abusing an animal for kicks is still under investigation by Essex Police and West Ham United are “dealing with the matter internally”. Nonetheless in the court of public opinion there was a lot of backlash and Zouma felt the heat from the fans in the stands and on social media, with UFC fighter Jan Blachowicz issuing the disgraced soccer player a challenge.

Jan Blachowicz challenges Kurt Zouma on Twitter

Blachowicz took to Twitter to vent his frustration upon seeing the video tweeting, “If you are so tough mother****er, Kurt Zouma, try to kick me… What a piece of s***. No tolerance for animal cruelty.”

A spokesperson from the RSPCA stated: “This is a very upsetting video. It’s never acceptable to kick, hit or slap an animal, for punishment or otherwise.” The player has apologized for the video, “I want to apologize for my actions. There are no excuses for my behavior, which I sincerely regret” Zouma stated.