Candice Warner crushes Robbie Slater after ‘incredibly sexist’ comment about Matildas superstar Sam Kerr – but Socceroos legend refuses to back down despite his own daughter’s reaction
- Candice Warner criticized Robbie Slater on live television
- Felt ex-Socceroo was ‘incredibly sexist’ in 2022 op-ed
- Slater claimed that Sam Kerr should not be compared to Tim Cahill
Candice Warner and Robbie Slater are colleagues – but that didn’t stop the former Ironwoman from hammering the Socceroos legend on live television Tuesday night.
In exciting scenes further The back pageWarner, a mother of three daughters, called out Slater for his now-infamous News Corp column last January, saying Matildas superstar Sam Kerr’s achievements cannot be compared to those of Socceroos icon Tim Cahill.
Slater, 58, wrote an op-ed stating that Cahill’s goalscoring record for Australia is superior to Kerr’s stunning international success as a striker.
It came after the Chelsea striker surpassed Cahill’s record of 50 goals for his country.
Kerr was furious and in the Disney+ documentary Matildas: The world at our feetshe called Slater’s comment “literally the most sexist thing you could say — not right.”
Candice Warner and Robbie Slater are colleagues – but that didn’t stop the former Ironwoman (pictured) from calling out the Socceroos legend on live television Tuesday night
It followed Slater (pictured) writing an op-ed in January 2022 arguing that Tim Cahill’s goals for Australia should not be overshadowed by Sam Kerr’s international success as a striker with the Matildas.
“Imagine little girls reading that,” Kerr said angrily.
“I can’t believe in this day and age that someone can write this and get young girls to read it, and that they [News Corp] would actually put such a sexist comment on the front page.’
Warner also didn’t mince words on the show, stating that Slater was “outside the lines” and “incredibly sexist.”
“Robbie, I don’t quite agree with you,” she said.
“I thought it was out of order. You have two young daughters. I found it incredibly sexist.
“What do you say to young girls who may be ambitious [to be professional footballers]?’
Warner then asked Slater if he regretted his op-ed – which he didn’t, even though it sidelined him with his own daughter Indigo.
After the story was published last year, the youngster said her famous father Kerr was ‘so much better’ than him as a footballer – despite her father winning a 1995 Premier League title with Blackburn Rovers and representing the Socceroos 44 times.
“I don’t regret the column because I still stand by separating Tim Cahill from Sam Kerr and saying that Tim is our best ever goalscorer in Socceroo and Sam is our best ever goalscorer for women,” said Slater.
Matildas captain Sam Kerr was furious with Slater’s column, stating that the headline was “the most sexist thing you could say”
After the Matildas beat Thailand last November, Kerr took time to chat with a young fan who said she looked up to the Aussie skipper in the same way Kerr admired athletics legend Cathy Freeman.
Kerr (centre) celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal in the Matildas’ stunning 2-0 win over England last month
“I don’t think that was inappropriate.
“But if I listened to my nine-year-old daughter, I may have acted wrong. She [Indigo] came up to me and said, ‘Dad, what have you done with Sam Kerr, she’s so much better than you?’
“She’s got a poster of Sam Kerr on the wall.
“I had to answer some questions. But I think the column was balanced.’
Slater continued his belief that Kerr is the best female player in the world and that the Women’s World Cup in July and August – co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand – will be the biggest sporting event on local shores since the 2000 Olympics. in Sydney.