Chelsea FC centre-back Kurt Zouma has clarified comments he made in the aftermath of the Blues’ 2-0 win in the London derby against Arsenal FC, when he said Diego Costa liked to ‘cheat’
France international Kurt Zouma scored the opening goal for Chelsea FC against Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge last Saturday, putting the Blues on track for just their second Premier League win of the season.
However, it was the centre-half’s faux pas after the match that had everybody talking. The former St.Etienne defender has now clarified his comments through his Twitter account, explaining his use of the word ‘cheat’ was down to his unfamiliarity of the English language.
Zouma explains his post-match comment
British tabloids unsurprisingly had a field day with the comments of Kurt Zouma after the game against Arsenal FC, when the 20-year-old told beIN Sports: “No I’m not surprised, because I know Diego. Everybody knows Diego, this guy likes to cheat a lot and put the opponent out of the game.”
However, the France international has now clarified that comment, insisting that he did not mean to accuse anybody of cheating, and that his use of the word was down to the fact that English is his second language.
Sorry for any confusion, English is not my first language & I did not mean to accuse anyone of cheating. Simply to say ….
.
a Kurt Zouma (@KurtZouma) September 21, 2015
….Diego is a player who puts pressure on his opponents & who I have huge respect for.
a Kurt Zouma (@KurtZouma) September 21, 2015
It came as no surprise to Blues’ fans who suspected just as much, given the Frenchman is not used to making any sorts of controversial comments, much less targeting his own team-mate.
Zouma could be set for a huge season with Chelsea FC
The France centre-back was outstanding against Arsenal FC, scoring his first league goal for the club, and putting in an extremely mature display at the centre of the defence alongside Gary Cahill.
Kurt Zouma is already displaying a maturity way beyond his years, and his progress in such a short time at Chelsea FC under Jos Mourinho has been remarkable. With Mourinho likely to use quicker defenders given the lack of pace in his back line, Zouma could be a regular feature in the Blues’ starting XI — something that will only help him grow further.
With the EURO 2016 tournament scheduled at the end of this season in France, Zouma will be competing for a place in the squad alongside other talented youngsters, and a successful season with Chelsea FC will definitely bring the 20-year-old into Didier Deschamps’ reckoning.
The biggest season of Zouma’s career till date lies ahead.