West Ham defender, Kurt Zouma could face 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 player attacking his pet at his £2million 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 prosecutor.
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.’
According to article 113-6 of the French Penal Code, a French citizen can be prosecuted for criminal acts carried out abroad.