Thomas Hzlsperger: Former Aston Villa player reveals he is gay - BBC Sport

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Atralian midfielr Josh Cavallo publicly me out as gay, makg history as the only current openly gay top-flight male pro soccer player the world.

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THOMAS HZLSPERGER: FORMER ASTON VILLA PLAYER REVEALS HE IS GAY

Former Aston Villa, Wt Ham and Everton midfielr Thomas Hzlsperger announc a newspaper that he is gay. * aston villa player gay *

Former Aston Villa midfielr Thomas Hzlsperger has revealed he is gay. External-lkHe is the most proment footballer to publicly reveal his homosexualy and said was "a good time" to do so. "I'm g out about my homosexualy bee I want to move the discsn about homosexualy among profsnal sportspeople forwards, " he midfielr, who retired om the sport September after a seri of jury problems, said he has only realised " the past few years" that he would "prefer to live together wh another man", addg: "I've never been ashamed of the way I am.

"Jt picture 20 men sat around a table together drkg - you've jt got to let the majory be, jt as long as the jok are halfway funny and the talk about homosexualy don't get too sultg, " he athlet om other sports have openly discsed their sexualy recent years, wh Olympic diver Tom Daley revealg December he was a relatnship wh a exampl football are few and far between.

THOMAS HZLSPERGER ANNOUNC HE IS GAY NEWSPAPER TERVIEW

<p>Thomas Hzlsperger has bee the most high-profile footballer to e out, announcg on Wednday that he is gay</p> * aston villa player gay *

In 1990, former England Unr-21 ternatnal Jt Fashanu was the first profsnal footballer Bra to reveal he was gay.

In Febary 2013, former Uned Stat and Leeds Uned wger Robbie Rogers said he was gay while Swedish footballer Anton Hysen, son of former Liverpool player Glenn Hysen, announced his homosexualy an terview wh a Swedish football magaze 2011.

ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO COM OUT, BE WORLD’S ONLY ACTIVE GAY MALE SOCCER PLAYER

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"Retired basketball star John Amaechi, 43, the first NBA player to e out as gay, doubts other footballers will follow Hzlsperger, tellg BBC Sport "football is toxic" and s culture mt change. "Every sports star who is willg to speak out mak jt that ltle b easier for gay players and fans, and we hope, a new generatn of footballers will feel nfint enough to be themselv.

"The Gay Football Supporters' Network said: "It shows that we are movg one step closer to creatg that atmosphere football where players at all levels would be able to e out should they want to, safely and ee om discrimatn.

A-LEAGUE FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY: 'I'M TIRED OF THIS DOUBLE LIFE'

Wele to the gayt league all of women's ternatnal sports, or so I believe: the premier league. Women's football (soccer) the US is known for beg slightly on the straighter si, but the exact oppose is te Europe. While makg my WNBA list and NWSL list, there are about double as many… * aston villa player gay *

Thomas Hzlsperger has bee the most high-profile footballer to e out, announcg on Wednday that he is gay. The former Aston Villa, Wt Ham and Everton player has given a long terview to the German paper Die Ze, which he says that he is talkg about his sexualy bee he wants "to further the bate about homosexualy among sports profsnals".

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"It's been a long and difficult procs" [of beg aware of beg gay]. "In England, Italy and Germany beg a homosexual is no big thg, at least not the drsg room, " he said, before addg: "I was never ashamed of beg who I am but was not always easy to s on a table wh 20 young men and listen to jok about gays. "Beg gay is topic that is 'ignored' football and not 'a ser topic the changg room'.

EX VILLA PLAYER IS 'FIRST GERMAN GAY FOOTBALLER'

Fightg spir, passn and wng mentaly are trsilly lked, that don't f the cliché: 'Gays are soft'" year, the former Leeds Uned player Robbie Rogers me out, tellg the world about his sexualy a statement on his webse. Atralian profsnal footballer Josh Cavallo publicly me out as gay on social media this week, makg him the only active, male, openly gay top-flight pro footballer the 21-year-old midfielr for Alai Uned opened up about the cisn to publicly announce his sexualy an open letter posted on Twter.

“I am proud to publicly announce that I am gay, ” Cavallo wrote. ”“Growg up beg gay and playg football were jt two worlds that hadn’t crossed paths before, ” he wrote. It is astonishg to know that there are currently no gay profsnal footballers who are out and actively playg, not only Atralia, but around the world.

Back 2014, the chief executiv of Atralia’s ma profsnal sports signed a mment to “tackle” homophobia football, gby, and cricket. In 2019, Atralian footballer and former A-Lege player Andy Brennan ma history as Atralia’s first male pro footballer to e out as, Cavallo is the only openly gay A-League male pro footballer currently playg, and one of the few profsnal men’s soccer players the world to ever publicly e out. Cavallo also now jos the ranks of Amerin pro athlet Carl Nassib and Le Prokop, who also publicly me out as gay this year.

TOP-LEVEL PRO SOCCER PLAYER JOSH CAVALLO OUT AS GAY, ENURAGG OTHERS THEY'RE 'NOT ALONE'

“It’s OK to be gay and to play football, ” he said the ncln of his g out vio. ”The soccer player end the vio wh this strong claratn: “I’m Josh Cavallo, I’m a footballer, and I’m proud to be gay.

Check this out: Le Prokop Mak History As First Player Unr NHL Contract to Come Out as Gay. A-League midfielr Josh Cavallo has e out as gay, beg the only known current male top-flight profsnal footballer the world to be out. "I'm a footballer and I'm gay, " the 21-year-old said an emotnal vio posted on Alai Uned's social media.

"Cavallo is the first active gay profsnal footballer to e out Atralia's top-flight, sayg he was done wh feelg "ashamed" about his add: "I'm tired of tryg to perform at the bt of your abily and to live this double life, 's exhstg.

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