A gifted footballer, Sam Kerr’s reputation takes hit after London trial

AFP, Sydney :

Sam Kerr will always be remembered as one of the greatest female players to grace the game, but one drunken night out in London has cast a shadow over the Australian superstar’s reputation.

The 31-year-old Chelsea striker, who is mixed race, issued a public apology despite being found not guilty on Tuesday of racially aggravated abuse of a police officer in the early hours of January 30, 2023.

Kerr was recorded calling the policeman “stupid and white” but claimed she did not use “whiteness as an insult”.

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

In a statement, Kerr apologised for “expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening”, with the case threatening to leave an indelible mark on an otherwise unblemished career.

“Kerr discovers one drunken night has more impact than all those brilliant goals,” the Sydney Morning Herald said, noting the fragility of a sportsperson’s image.

“It has two foundations: the way they express themselves on the field, and the curated output of PR (interviews, books, advertisements, social media posts, public appearances and so on).