The 30-year-old’s English club and lucrative sponsors went to ground over arguably the world’s most famous women’s soccer player on Tuesday. They refused to comment after she was granted unconditional bail following her appearance at Kingston Crown Court via video link on Monday.
Shepleaded not guilty to the charge,which dates back to an incident on January 30 last year,where it is alleged Kerr used insulting,threatening or abusive words that caused alarm or distress to a Metropolitan Police officer – identified in court as PC Lovell – who was responding to a complaint involving a taxi fare.
The allegations threaten to tarnish the image of Kerr,who took homean estimated $3.3 million last year in salary and endorsements and is regarded as one of the most bankable figures in the sport. She works with six brands,including Uber and Mastercard and is the global face of Nike’s Mercurial boots alongside male star players Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe. Nike did not respond to inquiries on Tuesday.
She became the first Australian female soccer player to earn more than $1 million in a year in 2019.
Kerr also has a deal with EA Sports as the first woman to grace the cover of its premier sports video game and features in a recent Disney+ series,Matildas:The World at Our Feet,as well as her Chelsea deal that is reportedly worth more than $600,000 a season.The Sydney Morning Herald,The Age,andWide World of Sports last year named Kerrthe most influential woman in Australian sport.
It has emerged that few knew of the criminal accusation levelled at the superstar striker,which followed the celebration of a big FA Cup win by Kerr’s club,Chelsea,where she scored three goals against Liverpool. The news has rocked the sport in both hemispheres,with Australia’s governing body conceding it was unaware that Kerr had been charged and would face trial.