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The Football Australia (FA) announcement confirming Sam Kerr is eligible to return to full duties with the Matildas has sparked a fierce debate, with football legend Robbie Slater calling for her to step down as captain, while vice-captain Emily van Egmond has strongly supported her continuation in the role.

Sam Kerr was recently found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment in a UK court after an incident in which she called a police officer 鈥渇***ing stupid and white.鈥�

Despite the verdict, her actions on the night in question, including being intoxicated, vomiting in a taxi, and her failure to inform FA of the incident before it became public have led to calls for her to relinquish the captaincy.

Slater says Sam Kerr ‘Simply Cannot Captain the National Team Again鈥�

Robbie Slater, former Socceroos star, has criticised FA鈥檚 handling of the situation, labelling their response as 鈥渨eak鈥� and insisting Sam Kerr should step aside as Matildas captain.

鈥淭he best thing that Kerr can do when she returns to action is to decline any offer to again captain the ,鈥� Slater wrote in his column for Code Sports.

鈥淭hat will prove that she is putting the team first, and go at least some of the way towards her regaining some of the fans that have been put off-side during her police and court saga, despite her being found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer.鈥�

Slater further stated that Kerr鈥檚 actions were not befitting of a national captain and that the team should continue under the leadership of Steph Catley, who has served as interim captain in her absence.

鈥淐aptaining your country is the highest honour in any sport. It鈥檚 a title that brings with it a responsibility not only to lead your team on the field, but also lead by example off the field,鈥� Slater said.

鈥淯nfortunately for Kerr, she set a poor example in the video at the London police station that the whole of Australia watched. That is not the behaviour befitting of a national captain.鈥�

Van Egmond: 鈥楽he Definitely Shouldn鈥檛 Be Stepping Down鈥�

In contrast to Slater鈥檚 remarks, Matildas vice-captain Emily van Egmond has thrown her full support behind Sam Kerr, stating that the squad is united behind their captain.

鈥淎s teammates and a team we are in full support of her and we are looking forward to the game on Friday,鈥� Van Egmond said.

She was repeatedly questioned about Kerr鈥檚 leadership during a press conference but remained firm in her stance.

鈥淪he definitely shouldn鈥檛 be stepping down,鈥� she reiterated.

FA officials attempted to redirect media focus toward the upcoming matches against South Korea, but speculation over Kerr鈥檚 captaincy dominated the discussion.

FA Clears Kerr鈥檚 Return

Despite the controversy, FA has confirmed Kerr鈥檚 eligibility to return to the Matildas, stating that they took 鈥渁dditional context鈥� into account when making their decision.

鈥淜nowing how Sam [Kerr] feels about the events, along with the additional context we鈥檝e learned, has added vital perspective that the general public may not be aware of,鈥� FA Chair Anter Isaac said.

He also emphasised Kerr鈥檚 contributions to the game over the past 15 years, stating that one incident should not define her career.

Sam Kerr herself acknowledged the impact of the situation and expressed regret.

鈥淚t was an incredibly difficult period for me, my family, my club, my teammates, and especially for the fans whose support means so much to us,鈥� Kerr said in FA鈥檚 statement.

鈥淚 recognise that leadership means being mindful of our actions both on and off the pitch.鈥�

While Sam Kerr will not feature in the upcoming friendlies due to her ongoing recovery from an ACL injury, she will remain in camp with the Matildas as she continues rehabilitation under the team鈥檚 high-performance staff.

FA director and former Matilda Heather Garriock stated that the organisation would be reviewing its policies to ensure greater accountability in the future.

鈥淲e look forward to the opportunity of welcoming her back once she is fit and ready, and we fully support her ongoing journey in Australian football,鈥� she said.

鈥淭he team will continue open dialogue to ensure we all grow and learn together.鈥�