Disgraced footballer Kurt Zouma faces up to four years in prison in his native France for kicking and slapping his cat.
A legal complaint has been filed against the 27-year-old in Paris, where there is widespread shock at a video showing the West Ham player attacking his pet at his Essex home.
It led to lawyers working for the 30 Million Friends Foundation (La Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis), the largest animal rights group in France, contacting prosecutors.
A spokesman for the Foundation said: ‘We condemn this heinous act, have asked that the player be suspended from the France team, and filed a legal complaint against him.