As much as one can say to differentiate between the life on the football pitch and off the football pitch, there are times when the two worlds collide. For example, we saw the Iranian football teams protesting against their government crackdown after the death of Mahsa Amini by refusing to sing the national anthem at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. And just like that have also seen several footballers coming out openly as homosexual, a step seen as a sign of positivity against the discrimination faced by the community.
Earlier this season, we saw Birmingham City’s teenage footballers Jake Daniels coming out as homosexual. And now Czech footballer Jakub Jankto has also come out openly as homosexual. However, these two are not the only footballers to come out as gay. Several footballers have come out in the open, showing that, slowly but surely, the game of football is beginning to foster an environment where a person is not discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation.
So, we look at some of the players who have come out in the open about their sexual orientation.
Jakub Jankto
Czech footballer Jakub Jankto is the latest footballer to come out as homosexual. In a video released on Twitter, Jankto said, “I’m homosexual, and I no longer want to hide myself”. Jankto plays as a midfielder and has played for clubs such as Udinese, Sampdoria, and Getafe.
He was also in a relationship with Marketa Ottomanska, who is a model and also has a son with her. However, they separated in 2021. In the video, Jankto continued, “I have a job which I have been doing as best as I can, for years, with seriousness, professionalism and passion. Like everybody else, I also want to live my life in freedom. Without fears. Without prejudice. Without violence. But with love.”
El futbolista del Getafe Jakub Jankto reconoce que es homosexual y que no quiere esconderse más. 👏👏🏳️🌈
Es el primero de La Liga en hacerlo cuando es evidente que hay decenas de jugadores que lo son. Lo cual habla de mucha valentía por su parte y de mucha homofobia en el fútbol. pic.twitter.com/BAfvjbEieH
— Pablo Echenique (@PabloEchenique) February 13, 2023
Justin Fashanu
On talent alone, there might not be a better homosexual player in the history of football than Justin Fashanu. The talented striker rose to fame in 1979-80, scoring the ‘Goal of the Season’ against Liverpool. The following season, he scored 19 goals before becoming the first black player to…
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