Football Federation Australia (FFA) today recognised the achievements of two of Australia’s leading female footballers – Ellie Carpenter and Sam Kerr – who secured silverware with their respective European clubs at the weekend.
20-year-old Carpenter became the first Australian woman to win a UEFA Women’s Champions League title overnight as her French club, Olympique Lyonnais (OL), won a record seventh crown in the competition.
While Carpenter – who has amassed 42 caps for the Westfield Matildas since her debut against Vietnam in 2016 – remained on the bench for the encounter, the defender joins male counterparts including Craig Johnston (Liverpool FC), Harry Kewell (Liverpool FC) and Zjelko Kalac (AC Milan) to have claimed European club football’s top honour.
OL defeated German heavyweights VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 in the Final played at the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastian, Spain.
Also on the weekend Westfield Matildas captain Kerr added another trophy to her ever expanding list of honours as her London-based club, Chelsea FC, defeated Manchester City FC in the 2020 FA Women’s Community Shield at the famous Wembley Stadium.
The Blues won the fixture 2-0, with Kerr featuring for 72 minutes of the encounter.
FFA Chief Executive Officer, James Johnson, congratulated Carpenter and Kerr on their success at the weekend, and said their feats will continue to inspire the next generation of Australian footballers as Australia, together with New Zealand, gears up to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
“It was a great weekend for Australian football, with Ellie (Carpenter) and Sam (Kerr) joining the players, coaches, and staff from Sydney FC in claiming important pieces of silverware,” Johnson said.
“Ellie has written her name into the history books by becoming the first Australian woman to win a UEFA Women’s Champions League, which is a truly magnificent achievement. She, like Sam, has so much to look forward to as she continues her football journey for both club and country leading up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 on home soil, and beyond.
“The success of our high profile players, combined with a great Hyundai A-League 2020 Grand Final, and the announcement on Sunday that a proposed Home of the Matildas in Victoria has received $1.5 million towards master planning and design from the Victorian Government, are strong outcomes for our sport both locally and globally.”
