Josh Cavallo recriminations could keep football’s closet doors firmly shut | OneFootball

This article was written by The Sweeper Podcast, a weekly world football podcast covering all 211 FIFA countries – and beyond. You can listen to The Sweeper on Spotify here and on Apple Podcasts here.

When Josh Cavallo came out in October 2021, he became the first openly gay male footballer in a top-tier league. His bravery was met with an outpouring of support from across the football world.

Messages of encouragement flooded in from clubs like Arsenal and Barcelona, and star players such as Marcus Rashford and Zlatan Ibrahimović.

Most crucial though was the positive reaction from his own club, Adelaide United, and his teammates.

In coming out, Cavallo played a crucial role in inspiring other gay male footballers to follow suit, such as Jake Daniels, who became the first British professional male footballer to come out in more than 30 years.

Four-and-a-half years later, things have changed completely. Cavallo left Adelaide United for the less illustrious setting of Peterborough Sports in England’s National League North, and he has now issued a statement on social media that accuses his former club of homophobia.

Cavallo claims that his playing time was reduced due to internal homophobia rather than his efforts on the pitch. He also alleges that he discovered teammates were using a team WhatsApp group to mock a picture of Cavallo and his partner.

In his statement, Cavallo says: “Decisions were made by people in power that blocked my opportunities, not because of my talent but because of who I choose to love.

“It’s hard to swallow when I realised my own club was homophobic.

“This was exactly the fear I had about coming out. For the first time, I had questioned if I should have kept my sexuality a secret.”

Adelaide United has issued its own statement in response stressing the club’s ‘disappointment’ at Cavallo’s words.

The club wrote: ‘The Club is extremely disappointed by the claims made and categorically rejects the allegations, including any suggestion that Adelaide United is homophobic.

“All on-field decisions relating to team selection are made solely on footballing grounds.’

Former teammate and captain at Adelaide United, Craig Goodwin, has hit back, denying any homophobia in the dressing room and claiming that Cavallo didn’t get game time as he was “taking up other opportunities” and missed training sessions.

What does this mean for other gay male footballers?

There are very few openly gay male footballers in professional football.

Possibly the most high-profile example of a player coming out was Czech international Jakub Jankto in 2023 who played for Cagliari in Serie A but had his career curtailed by a serious injury.

Just as the initial wave of positivity around Cavallo’s coming-out may have encouraged other gay male footballers that the sport could be a forward-thinking space, the fear must be that the recriminations surrounding Cavallo’s exit may do the opposite.