The Chinese Football Association rejected the transfer of former Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma to Shandong Liaoning due to his involvement in an animal abuse case.

The decision comes after the significant controversy stirred by the player due to a disturbing incident involving cats while he was playing in the English Premier League with West Ham United.

Zuma was involved in an incident in 2022 when his younger brother posted a video showing him hitting, kicking, and throwing shoes at his cat, which sparked public outrage and widespread criticism on social media. The video quickly turned into a major legal and social issue in Britain.

Ultimately, the British authorities sentenced Zuma to 180 hours of community service and banned him from owning cats for five years, in addition to a separate fine imposed on his former club, West Ham.