From the Premier League to Major League Soccer, Juventus, Gerard Piqué, and Sacha Kljestan, tweets of support came by the droves for Adelaide United left-back Josh Cavallo.
Josh Cavallo uploaded a video on Twitter announcing that he is gay and at the moment, Cavallo is the only current openly gay top-flight male soccer player. Cavallo is not the first soccer player to come out as former Leeds United and Columbus Crew player Robbie Rogers announced he was gay in February 2013. Rogers would return to the pitch in 2014 and play until 2017 with the Los Angeles Galaxy, playing a total of 78 games.
For Cavallo, as he mentioned in his video, an enormous weight has been lifted off his shoulders and he can now concentrate on just playing the sport he loves with his teammates and have his friends and loved ones in the stands cheering him on knowing there are no more secrets. Here is more on Josh Cavallo’s announcement.
Josh Cavalloopenly gay soccer player
Josh Cavallo of United kicks during the A-League match between Sydney FC and Adelaide United (Getty Images)
In the video Josh Cavallo stated: “I know there are other players living in silence… I want to help change this, to show that everyone is welcome in the game of football and deserves the right to be their authentic self…If anything, you earn more respect from people. Coming out to my loved ones, my peers, my friends, my teammates, my coaches has been incredible…The response and support I have received is immense – it’s starting to make me think, `Why have I been hiding this burden for so long?’”
In a statement also posted on his Twitter page Cavallo stated: “Being a gay closeted footballer, I’ve had to learn to mask my feelings in order to fit the mold of a professional footballer”.
Cavallo follows former A-League player Andy Brennan, who publicly came out while playing in 2019. Former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger came out after retiring from soccer in 2014.
Josh Cavallo is a left-back and has represented the under-20 Australian national team, he currently plays for Adelaide United, where he has played 19 games since 2021, but before that played 9 games for Western United in 2019/2020.
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