Jose Mourinho has taken a fresh swipe at his former player Kurt Zouma.
Mourinho was taking part in an interview with another ex-player of his famous Chelsea side, John Obi Mikel. When Mikel asked the now Fenerbahce manager which he prefers out of dogs and cats, the 62-year-old had a typically sharp response.
“Dogs,” Mourinho said, before he held up his hands and added: “But I don’t have any problems with cats. I’m not Kurt Zouma.” The three-time Premier League title winner’s response emitted thunderous laughter from Mikel.
The former Roma manager’s jibe referenced Zouma’s infamous incident from 2022 when he abused his pet cat in a manner that sparked significant public outcry after footage went viral on social media and lead to legal repercussions.
Zouma was filmed kicking his Bengal cat across his kitchen, before throwing a pair of shoes at it and slapping its head. The video, first posted on Snapchat at the time, also showed him saying “I swear I’ll kill it”.
Following an RSPCA investigation, Zouma was ordered to carry out 180 hours of community service after he pleaded guilty. The 30-year-old, who was 27 and playing for West Ham United then, was also banned from keeping cats for five years.
The French centre-back later tendered an apology. However, this isn’t the first barb Mourinho has directed at Zouma.
The defender confessed that during Mourinho’s tenure at Chelsea, he was dubbed as “rubbish” in the aftermath of a defeat, reports the Mirror. He told RMC Sport: “I cannot remember which match we were playing, we were losing 3-1, away from home.
(Image: Action Images via Reuters / Alex Morton)
“The following day, he catches up with me, he takes me to his office, and he asks me if I am ok. I said ‘yes’, he asked me if I was sure.
“I said yes again, he replied ‘because you were rubbish this weekend.’ Like that, direct. It shocked me, but it made me want to immediately respond on the pitch. I remember that it hurt me, that it affected me. But I really wanted to show him that I could react.”
During the first season of Mourinho’s second spell at Stamford Bridge, Zouma was sent out on loan to Saint-Etienne for the 2013/14 season. Upon his return to the club, the defender featured 30 times before Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea for a second time in December 2015.
Following a series of loan spells, Zouma signed for West Ham in 2021. He is currently on loan at Saudi Arabian Pro-League side Al-Orobah.
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