同性愛公表の豪サッカー選手、世界中からの支持に「感動」

【シドニーＡＦＰ＝時事】同性愛者であることを公表したオーストラリア出身のサッカー選手ジョシュ・カバッロ（２１）は２８日、世界中から集まった支持の声に感動していると話した。（写真は豪Ａリーグ、アデレード・ユナイテッドのＭＦジョシュ・カバッロ）
　豪Ａリーグのアデレード・ユナイテッドに所属し、Ｕ－２０の豪代表としてプレーした実績も持つＭＦカバッロは２７日、自身のＳＮＳで「僕はサッカー選手で、そしてゲイだ」と明かし、現在サッカーのトップリーグでプレーしている中では唯一同性愛を公表した選手となった。
　このカミングアウトの決断には、スウェーデン代表のスター選手ズラタン・イブラヒモビッチが「君はチャンピオンだ。サッカーは皆のものだ。大いにリスペクトする」とツイッターに投稿するなど、国内外のサッカー界から賛辞が贈られている。
　その他にも、アントワーヌ・グリーズマン、マーカス・ラシュフォード、ラファエル・バラン、ジェラール・ピケ、ダビド・デ・ヘア、ジョーダン・ヘンダーソンらがこぞって支持するツイートを行った。
　また国際サッカー連盟（ＦＩＦＡ）をはじめ、イングランド・プレミアリーグのリバプールやトッテナム・ホットスパー、イタリア・セリエＡのＡＣミランなどのビッグクラブもカバッロを称賛。
　スペイン１部リーグの強豪ＦＣバルセロナは、同選手が「大きな一歩を踏んだ」ことに感謝を示した。
　カバッロはこれらの反響にとても驚いているといい、「自分が何者であるかや、自分が信じていること、育った文化や背景と関係なく、サッカーでは誰もが受け入れられるというメッセージを世界に伝えたかった」と豪スカイ・スポーツに語った。
　さらに「ベースとするべきなのはその人の才能であり、見た目や信条ではない」とし、「要するに、今は２０２１年で、サッカーもこの点において変革の時期だ。きょう、このような日を迎えられて、受け取った反響には感動と喜びでいっぱいだ」とコメントした。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/10/29-14:55）

Australian midfielder Josh Cavallo said that he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of global support after coming out as the only known gay men's footballer playing in a top-flight league.
The 21-year-old, who plays for Adelaide United in Australia's A-League, said on social media on Wednesday: I'm a footballer and I'm gay.
His decision to go public won plaudits throughout the footballing world and beyond, with legendary Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic tweeting: You are a champion. Football is for everyone. Big respect.
Antoine Griezmann, Marcus Rashford, Raphael Varane, Gerard Pique and David de Gea all tweeted their support.
Huge respect to Josh for doing this, tweeted Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.
It's courageous and shares an important message that everyone deserves to be themselves no matter what.
Major clubs including Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan all applauded Cavallo, as did world governing body FIFA, while Spanish giants Barcelona thanked him for taking a huge step forward.
Your courage contributes to normalising diversity in the world of sports, Barcelona said.
Cavallo even caught the attention of prominent US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who tweeted to her 77 million followers: I'm sending him a whole lot of love today.
Cavallo, who has represented Australia at under-20 level, said he was stunned by the response.
I want to get a message across to the world to show that it doesn't matter who you are, what you believe in or what culture or background you come from, everyone is accepted in football, he told Sky Sports.
It should be based on your talent, not on what you look like or believe in.
At the end of the day we are in 2021 and it's time to change this in football. To have this day today, I'm so overwhelmed and happy with the response I've received.
- 'Still much work to do' -
Despite football's immense popularity worldwide only a few footballers have ever come out as gay, mostly after they retired to avoid the prospect of taunts from the terraces.
The first professional player to come out while still playing was Britain's Justin Fashanu in 1990, but he never found acceptance in the game and hanged himself in 1998.
A charity set up by Fashanu's family last year released a letter from an unnamed gay player in the English Premier League which highlighted how little football's culture had changed.
The player said his situation was an absolute nightmare, adding: I feel trapped and my fear is that disclosing the truth about what I am will only make things worse.
Andy Brennan, who played a handful of A-League games before revealing he was gay after moving to a semi-professional Australian league three years ago, praised Cavallo.
But he also questioned why gay players should have to be brave and courageous.
To simply be who we really are? he asked in a column for Guardian Australia on Thursday.
There is still much work to be done to ensure that sporting environments are safe and inclusive for LGBTQ+ people, so athletes like me and Josh feel it is a safe place for us to come out.
Cavallo, whose emotional video announcing he was gay has been viewed nearly seven million times in less than 24 hours, said he hoped his decision would inspire others.
As the game of football keeps expanding, I want to help evolve the game even further and let other players in my situation feel that they're not alone, he said.
His coach at Adelaide United, Carl Veart, said it had been a tough decision for the young player given the stigma that has gone with it (being gay) in our sport.
I've been looking forward to this day since Josh told me. I am so happy for him and so proud that he could do that, Veart said.