Who is Jess Carter and how long has she been with her partner Ann-Katrin Berger?
Jess has been supported by footballers and officials after suffering abuse at Euro 2025
LIONESS Jess Carter has been praised for her strength of character in the face of racist abuse received during Euro 2025.
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England head coach Sarina Weigman has said Jess, who is in a relationship with Ann-Katrin Berger, is ready to perform at the tournament.
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England footballer Jess Carter, pictured with her partner Ann-Katrin Berger, has released a statement on the racist abuse she has suffered at Euro 2025
Credit: INSTAGRAM
Who is England defender Jess Carter?
Jess Carter is an English footballer who also holds American citizenship through her father.
She was born on October 27, 1997, in Warwick, England and has played for Birmingham City and Chelsea.
Jess debuted for Birmingham in 2014 when she was just 16 years old and then joined Chelsea in June 2018 on a three-year contract.
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In October 2022, it was announced that Jess was extending her Chelsea contract.
Jess released a statement tackling the abuse she has suffered at the tournament, with the team then releasing a collective statement, a decision that has united the Lionesses.
Italy's head coach Andrea Soncin expressed his team's support for Jess before the fixture in Geneva.
Who is Jess Carter's partner Ann-Katrin Berger?
Gotham defender Jess, 27, has been in a relationship with German goalie Ann-Katrin Berger since 2017.
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The pair first met while signed for Birmingham City in 2016, and they also played together at Chelsea three years later.
Ann-Katrin, 34, recalled thinking Jess was "arrogant" when they first met, but they went on to become housemates and good friends before things became romantic between them.
Jess said: 'I had broken up with my boyfriend when I moved in, but as far as I knew I was straight."
In August 2017, Ann-Katrin took Jess out for a dinner date, and a few days later they were chilling at home when she went in for a kiss.
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Ann-Katrin said: 'I was quite nervous because I didn't know what her reaction would be. I always knew she was quite an open person, and she'd never ruled out being with a woman.
"At the same time, I heard her talk about guys, so I wasn't sure.'
BBC presenter and Jill Scott run off screen due to sprinklers during Lionesses vs Sweden
Initially they dismissed the kiss, but it didn't take long before they gave in to their feelings for each other.
Shortly after becoming a couple Ann-Katrin underwent treatment for thyroid cancer.
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She battled the illness again in 2022, with Jess by her side.
In May last year the pair announced their engagement with a social media post that read: "7 years down forever to go."
It came two months after former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes, who left the Blues to manage the US women's national team, claimed player relationships were "inappropriate".
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