Two Venezuelan first division footballers expelled for mistreating a cat
Two Venezuelan first division footballers were expelled from the Zulia FC squad for mistreating a cat and spreading images of the aggression on social media, the club announced.
The midfielder David Barreto and the defender Eduin Quero - a member of the U-20 national team that achieved second place in the World Cup in 2017 - were removed from the squad after criticism arose due to the mistreatment of the animal.
The club stated on Tuesday - through a statement - that they decided to permanently expel the players, both 20 years old, for "violating the Internal Regulations of the Club by carrying out actions that undermine the fundamental values of this institution".
A sequence of photos shows Barreto lifting the cat and stretching its limbs amidst laughter, after which he throws it on the asphalt. Quero recorded the video from which the screenshots that circulated on social media were taken.
The fate of the feline is currently unknown, a case that Asodepa, an organization that defends animal rights, denounced as a "cruel act".
"What will the fans who still support them think, knowing (...) that there is a clear relationship between animal abuse and mistreatment of people?" asked Asodepa activists.
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In response to the accusations, Barreto closed his Instagram account, while Quero blocked public access to his.
"My life is football. We all have the right to make mistakes and start over," reads Quero's biography. (I)