Hey Batman, riddle me this, how do two former World Cup winners cover themselves in dirt after being covered in glory? By saying or tweeting stupid things, just ask former Real Madrid star Iker Casillas and Barcelona legend Carles Puyol.
Castillas tweeted “I hope everyone respects me: I’m gay” on Sunday, which was followed by a reply by former teammate Carles Puyol stating, “It’s time to tell our story, Iker”. The tweet left millions of followers bewildered but both former Spanish greats quickly began to do ‘damage’ control by stating the tweet was a ‘joke’, Castillas, amid the mounting messages of disappointment tweeted that his account was ‘hacked’ and offered an apology to the LGBTQ+ community.
The Sport Media LGBT+ group issued a statement showcasing their disappointment in the incident, "Today's [Sunday] Twitter episode involving Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol has been hugely dispiriting for LGBTQ+ people and allies… The flippancy of the tweets and weak backtrack plays into the hands of homophobes. We've seen in recent months how famous players can be great allies, using the power of their social media platforms to send supportive messages. As the men's #FIFAWorldCup approaches, football needs voices of inclusion. We urge them to speak up again."
Lucy Bronze on Iker Casillas Tweets
England and Barcelona defender Lucy Bronze spoke about the matter as reported by the Daily Mail, ‘Obviously at the beginning no one really knew it was a joke,’ Bronze said. ‘But I think the reaction that has been had on social media in general, from not knowing what it was to thinking it was a joke to being hacked…the reaction just shows that there still needs a lot of education, openness on these kinds of subjects because that kind of reaction wasn’t normal.
‘Whether it was a joke or not, I don’t know Casillas, so I don’t know, but I think it shows there are still a lot of education and conversations that need to be had to make the world and the social media world a better place and more comfortable to have open conversations when they are real.’
Josh Cavallo, a soccer player from Australia, who came out as gay last season also tweeted his displeasure at the actions of the two former stars, “joking and making fun out of coming out in football is disappointing. It’s a difficult journey that any LGBTQ+ ppl have to go through. To see my role models and legends of the game make fun out of coming out and my community is beyond disrespectful”
