Sam Kerr ‘not guilty’ but Matildas’ captaincy future unclear

While Matildas’ superstar Sam Kerr has been found not guilty of racially harassing a white police officer, Football Australia is yet to decide if she will keep the Australian captaincy.

Sam Kerr leaving a UK court on Tuesday.

Sam Kerr may have been found “not guilty” of racially aggravated harassment but her Matildas captaincy remains on the line.

Over the past week as the case played out in London’s Kingston Crown Court, Football Australia board members have been in “deep discussions” about the captaincy – a role she has held since February 2019.

Late on Tuesday (AEDT) the UK court found Kerr not guilty of racially aggravated harassment against a police constable following an incident two years ago,

Kerr, 31, was visibly relieved when the jury of eight women and four men delivered their verdict on the seventh day of the trial. Kerr dropped her head in her hands and told a court official: “I hope to never see you again.”

Her parents, Roxanne and Roger, nodded to each other in the public gallery while Kerr’s fiancee, Kristie Mewis, started to cry.

As Kerr left the court she hugged her brother Levi and told her legal counsel, Grace Forbes: “You have done amazing, I can’t thank you enough.’’

Football Australia are in ‘deep discussions’ on Kerr’s captaincy.

Kerr left without speaking to the waiting media but issued a statement several hours later saying she was “thankful” for the jury’s decision.

“Following today’s not guilty verdict, I can finally put this challenging period behind me. While I apologise for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening, I have always maintained that I did not intend to insult or harm anyone and I am thankful that the jury unanimously agreed,” she said in the statement.

She also thanked Mewis, her family, friends and fans for their love and support. Kerr is expecting a baby boy with Mewis, who is six months pregnant. “I am fully focused on getting back on to the pitch and look forward to an exciting year ahead for me and my family,” she said.

Kerr was charged after an incident at Twickenham police station in the early hours of January 30, 2023, following a night out with Mewis. Kerr and Mewis claimed they thought they had been kidnapped by a taxi driver.

Expletive-laden footage, caught on a police body cam, in which the footballer says Constable Stephen Lovell is “f..king stupid and white” has been broadcast around the world.

The trial has the FA hierarchy, led by chief executive James ­Johnson, pondering the future of the captaincy of the Matildas.

It is expected that Kerr will be summoned by FA officials before she is due to play for the Matildas in April. A senior FA official said soon after the verdict was delivered: “She’s gone through one drama. We will be respectful and she’s not playing yet, so no big ­urgency … [to make a decision on the captaincy].”

Football bosses want to hear from Kerr before they make a ­decision. FA boardroom discussions around the captaincy intensified when the video of the Chelsea star delivering an alcohol-fuelled tirade emerged.

Sam Kerr. (Photo by Alex Pantling - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

While the court’s verdict ultimately went in her favour, the drama is not over.

The judge said after the verdict: “I take the view her own behaviour contributed significantly to the bringing of this allegation.”

Kerr and Mewis have stated that they feared for their lives as they were held “hostage” in a speeding cab.

Mewis, who has represented the US, said she kicked out the rear window in an attempt to escape. She told the court she “knew” she had to do something “dramatic” to save them.

The subsequent interaction with police became argumentative as Kerr and Mewis realised the ­officers didn’t believe them and were being “dismissive”.

Those close to Kerr say that while she has maintained a stoic front during the trial she has felt the toll of it all deeply. But they also say that when the going gets tough, the Matildas’ star comes back with a vengeance.

Kerr has not lost a major sponsor during the scandal. The likes of the Commonwealth Bank and Nike have stood by her.

Whether Kerr is formally a leader is to be determined but nothing can take away from her exceptional influence on the Matildas team. That was evident at the World Cup in 2023 when an injured Kerr assumed the role as unofficial coach from the bench.

The court heard character references from the former Chelsea coach and now US manager Emma Hayes and teammate Millie Bright.

Australian Football Star Sam Kerr Attends Pre-Trial Hearing In UK Racial Harassment Case

“Sam is someone who I would trust my life with and who I would go to for emotional support,” Bright said in her statement.

Chelsea Football Club didn’t release a statement following the case but the FA did.

In that statement the governing body fell short of backing in Kerr as captain and noted “behavioural standards”.

“Sam has been a key figure in Australian football for many years, and we recognise the significant pressures that this matter has brought to Sam, Kristie, her family, and everyone involved, including the impact it’s had on the game,” the FA said.

“Throughout this period, Football Australia has remained ­committed to supporting Sam and will continue to do so as she ­focuses on her footballing career, rehabilitation from injury and ­return to play.

“Football Australia invests heavily in building the behavioural standards and expectations of all involved with our game, especially for all our national team players, where leadership comes with added responsibilities on and off the field. Football Australia will ­reflect with Sam on learnings from this matter and we will continue to provide appropriate support for her moving forward.

“We look forward to Sam’s return to the pitch and her continued contributions to both her club and the Matildas on the world stage.”

Kerr and the FA have had a rocky relationship in recent times. In March 2024 the FA hierarchy was blindsided and powerbrokers were privately “fuming” to learn about the allegations levelled against Kerr through a newspaper report.

While Kerr has not played football in more than a year after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury, her return is keenly anticipated by her teammates, including vice-captain Stephanie van Egmond. Van Egmond threw her support behind her following the not guilty verdict.

“We are all with Sam,” van ­Egmond told CODE Sports.

“She’s an amazing person, one of my really good friends and I check in with her regularly just to see that she’s OK.

“In terms of captaincy, that’s obviously up to other people to ­decide, but for me she’s a great leader. She’s always been a tremendous leader and I wouldn’t have anyone else lead the team.”