New details emerge about why Sam Kerr didn't tell Football Australia about charge
Football Australia and Sam Kerr have reportedly had a falling out over the Matildas captain not informing them of being charged.
The Sam Kerr saga has taken another turn with a report claiming the Matildas star and Football Australia are in the midst of a bitter dispute. It is understood that Football Australia is angry at the 30-year-old for failing to inform them about being charged for multiple weeks despite previously telling her club team, Chelsea.
The Matildas captain is charged with using insulting, threatening or abusive words that caused alarm or distress during an incident in Twickenham on January 30, 2023, in which she threw up in a taxi after a night out. Kerr allegedly called a police officer a 'stupid white bastard' after the cops were called over a dispute regarding a taxi fare, according to reports, however, the 30-year-old denies she used the word 'bastard'.
Away from the ongoing court case, the Matildas captain is also understood to have had a bitter falling out with Football Australia, according to Code Sports, stemming from the fact that Kerr kept the charge a secret from Football Australia for about six weeks. Her failure to inform the governing body could be deemed to be a breach of the code of conduct, and the recent events have put her position as skipper in doubt.
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Following news of her arrest, when Football Australia boss James Johnson and Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson were questioned about the charge against Kerr, they stated they were unaware of it, more than a year after the incident first occurred. "First time I ever heard about it was this morning," Gustavsson said.
"I can make it very clear that today was the very first time I ever heard about it." The remarks led to widespread reports of Football Australia being blindsided by the Matildas captain which reportedly led to Kerr's camp becoming annoyed with both the governing body and the Matildas coach. Code Sports report that Kerr's camp felt Gustavsson's comments "lacked the same empathy" that was shown by the player’s club coach, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes.
New details about why Sam Kerr didn't tell Football Australia
The same report states that Football Australia wants answers as to why they were blindsided by the news, especially since Kerr's UK team Chelsea were informed. "The belief from Kerr’s camp is Chelsea are her primary employers, therefore they were kept up to date on proceedings," Code Sports' Todd Balym wrote.
A recent change to the Matildas’ collective bargaining agreement means Kerr is technically not employed by Football Australia and may have believed since she was injured, that it wasn't necessary to inform them. Previously all Matildas players were on centralised contracts but since November, they all are on the same terms as the Socceroos and receive match payments.
Despite the tension between the two parties, Football Australia stated on Friday that Kerr had their complete support. "As CEO of Football Australia, I want to reaffirm our support for Sam Kerr amidst the current allegations. Sam has pleaded not guilty and her right to a fair and just legal process is important," Johnson said in the statement.
"We trust the judicial system to handle this matter appropriately and urge respect for the legal proceedings. We are in touch with Sam and her team, and Football Australia is committed to supporting Sam throughout this process."
Sam Kerr insists she never called the policeman a 'bastard'
The Matildas star has pleaded not guilty to the charge of using insulting, threatening or abusive words that caused alarm or distress last year and will return to court for a pre-trial hearing next month. Last week it was alleged that Kerr called an officer a 'stupid white bastard' after police were called over a dispute in regards to a taxi fare after Kerr had been sick in the cab. But according to The Australian, Kerr and her legal team will deny that she said the word 'bastard' and instead said 'stupid white cop'.
The incident allegedly occurred on January 30, 2023, hours after Kerr scored a crucial hat-trick to help Chelsea to a 3-2 FA Cup victory over Liverpool. A hearing is scheduled for April 26 where Kerr’s legal team will apply to have the case dismissed on grounds of abuse of process. She appeared in court on Monday via video link and pleaded not guilty to the charge of racially aggravated harassment.
Her lawyers will reportedly seek to have the charge downgraded or dropped completely due to 'abuse of process' after it took police 12 months to lay the charge. Kerr was notified of the charge on January 21 this year and will head to trial in February 2025 if the case proceeds that far.
She is due back in court in April for a pre-trial hearing. In the UK, harassment convictions can include a sentence of up to two years in custody when the offence is racially or religiously aggravated.
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