Football Australia boss James Johnson and Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson were unaware of the charges against Samantha Kerr until the news broke via the media on Tuesday morning, both have revealed.
News emerged on Tuesday that Kerr, 30, had been charged over alleged racially aggravated aggression towards a police officer in Twickenham, London on January 30, 2023.
The Matildas striker appeared in court via videolink over the charges to enter a not guilty plea. She is expected to return to a four-day trial in January 2025.
Speaking to journalists in Sydney, Tony Gustavsson confirmed that he had no clue about the allegations against Kerr.
“First time I ever heard about it was this morning,” he said.
“I was informed this morning and obviously was surprised … I can make it very clear that today was the very first time I ever heard about it.”
Football Australia boss James Johnson also told media in Adelaide that he had only just learnt of the charges and that Football Australia was not notified, despite the alleged harassment occurring in 2023.
“I woke up this morning like everyone else did to the news,” Johnson said.
“And that is when Football Australia found out about this unsettling event. We are trying to get to the bottom of it at the moment. We have got our own questions that we’d like to know, we have got to find out what actually happened. But we also want to say that there is a process that is under way in the United Kingdom and that process needs to run its course.”
Football Australia was the first to comment on the court proceedings.
“Football Australia is aware of the legal proceedings involving Sam Kerr in the United Kingdom,” it said.
“As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are unable to provide further comment at this time. Our focus remains on supporting all our players, both on and off the field. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide support as appropriate.”
If Kerr is found guilty of racially aggravated harassment, she could face a sentence of up to two years in custody.
Kerr is yet to make a statement.
