West Ham striker Michail Antonio has questioned those calling for Kurt Zouma to be sacked after a video of the defender kicking his cat was shared online this week.
Zouma has faced a huge backlash after the video was uploaded by The Sun and he has since lost his personal sponsorship deal with Adidas, while West Ham's wellness partner Vitality suspended their sponsorship at the club and Experience Kissimmee have followed suit.
Surrey Police have confirmed that they are liaising with the RSPCA over the incident.
On Wednesday night, he was controversially chosen by David Moyes to start for the Hammers in their Premier League clash with Watford at the London Stadium, which has drawn more attention to the situation.
He has since been fined two weeks wages, understood to be around £250,000, by West Ham, but football.london understands that Zouma will continue to be made available for selection unless charges are brought against him by the police or the RSPCA.
Now, Zouma's West Ham team-mate Antonio has spoken out, and while he said he did not condone the actions of the Frenchman, he questioned those demanding he is sacked by the club, comparing the incident to players who have only previously faced bans for racism.
The 31-year-old was questioned by journalists as he arrived for training on Thursday and was asked if Zouma should have faced a harsher punishment than being fined two-weeks wages.
"I've got a question for you," Antonio replied in the video clip shared by Sky Sports News.
"Do you think, what he's done is worse than racism? I'm not condoning a thing that he's done. I don't agree with what he's done at all.
"But there's been people who have been caught for racism and have played football afterwards. They got punished. They got eight game punishment, or something like that.
"But people now calling for people to be sacked, for them to lose their livelihood. I've just got to ask this question to everyone out there; is what he's done, worse than what the people have done that have been convicted for racism?"
In 2011, Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was banned for eight games and fined £40,000 after an FA disciplinary panel found him guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.
In September 2012, John Terry was banned for four games and fined £220,000 after the FA found him guilty of "abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour" which "included a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of [Anton] Ferdinand."
This came after he had been cleared in July 2012 by Westminster Magistrates' Court of racially abusing Ferdinand, with a spokesman for Terry saying that the player was "disappointed" that the FA had reached a different conclusion to the not guilty verdict of a court of law.
