The jury has been discharged in the Harry Kewell libel case at the High Court.
The jury has been discharged in the Harry Kewell libel case at the High Court in London.
There will presumably need to be a retrial after the jury of six men and six women failed to reach a verdict.
Gary Lineker was unable to comment at length on leaving the court after being accused of making libellous comments towards Kewell in a newspaper article in 2003.
"It was a bit of a surprise but there's not a lot I can say at the moment until I know what I can say, if you understand me," he stated. "For prejudicing future events or whatever might lie ahead.
"It looks as if it could be a replay. But I can't say anything else because we don't know what is happening."
The former England captain, writing for The Sunday Telegraph, criticised the Australian for securing a transfer from Leeds United to Liverpool.
The hearing lasted seven days but it has ended in frustration for all parties.
The costs of the trial were estimated at £200,000 and there has been no decision on who will pay those fees nor when a retrial will take place.
The judge decided to discharge the jury when they failed to reach a majority decision on the first of six questions they needed to answer: 'Is the article defamatory of Harry Kewell?'
Kewell's lawyer Chris Farnell says the player has still to decide whether to pursue his action against Lineker and The Sunday Telegraph.
"I have spoken with Harry very briefly and brought him up-to-date in relation to the jury," he informed Sky Sports News.
"It's distinctly possible a retrial could happen, I need to sit down and speak with Harry, find out what his concerns are and move things forward.
"I think I was surprised that the jury had to be dismissed but there were a lot of complex questions asked at the trial. I'm used to them as a lawyer, perhaps the jury simply weren't used to the questions that were put to them.
"I think it's in our hands as we are bringing this claim. I need to sit down with Harry and see what he wants to do."
