Whether it’s a very bad joke or a hack, Iker Casillas’ fake coming out on Sunday has not finished talking. The message, since deleted, from the former Real Madrid goalkeeper, like Carles Puyol’s response, did not amuse anyone, and especially not Joshua Cavallo, the only openly gay footballer playing in a first division championship in Australia ( A League).
“Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol joking and having fun on the subject of coming out in football, it’s sad. It’s a difficult passage that anyone in the LGBTQ+ community has to go through. Seeing my role models and legends of the sport enjoying coming out and my community is beyond disrespectful,” Cavallo wrote.
A year ago, in October 2021, the then 21-year-old midfielder posted a video on social media in which he said: “I am a footballer and I am gay”. It had been viewed seven million times in twenty-four hours. In Spain, as everywhere else, homosexuality remains a taboo in men’s professional football. No active player in La Liga has taken the plunge to date.
“A lot to do, to move forward, to educate and raise awareness”
As spotted by RMC Sports, Iker Casillas was also pinned by the Higher Sports Council, the body in charge of the Spanish government’s sports policy, on Sunday. The CSD posted a photo of its rainbow-colored building, with this message: “Much to do, to move forward, to educate and raise awareness. We will continue. Good Sunday. »
Casillas defended himself by assuring that his account had been hacked: “Account hacked. Fortunately, everything is back to normal. Sorry to all my followers. And, of course, my apologies to the LGBT community,” he wrote.