Sam Kerr was booked for knocking a pitch invader to the ground in Chelsea’s 0-0 draw against Juventus in the Champions League.
A man from the public left his seat and entered the playing surface without being tackled by stewards. As he was heading toward the sidelines, he stopped while attempting to take a selfie with Chelsea captain Magdalena Eriksson. He was then body-slammed by Kerr, who was visibly bothered by the incident. The 28-year-old Chelsea attacker was cheered by fans, but that didn’t prevent her from getting booked by Swedish referee Sara Persson. Kerr’s wrestling moment went viral on Twitter minutes after it was published.
Talking to the media after the match, Chelsea head coach Emma Hayes said “we have to think about player welfare and safety,” suggesting that security hadn’t done enough to prevent a potential incident.
Against Juventus, Chelsea recorded their first goalless game of the season. Despite having 25 shots, neither side hit their intended target. Chelsea is in need of a draw against Wolfsburg next week to qualify for the next stage of the women’s Champions League. Chelsea won the domestic quadruple in the 2020-21 season and are Champions League runners-up.