2023-10-18 18:07:51
Jakub Jankto, a soccer player for Italian Cagliari who came out as gay in February, said that soccer is still “a little homophobic,” but that opening up to the world has helped him play without hiding and without being afraid. Jankto, who played half a season for Getafe, became the first professional and international footballer with a national team (Czech Republic) to come out as gay.
“I was 13 or 14 when I realized something that was different. “When you’re a child you don’t think much about it, but when I tried to have my first relationship with a girlfriend, it wasn’t like with a boy,” the footballer, now 27, explained to the BBC.
“Then I started in professional football and it is not something that is seen as normal, football is still a little homophobic, I think,” reflected Jankto, who plays as a midfielder and played for Getafe during the 2021-22 season.
“I remember that when I was 18 or 19 years old I was in the locker room with other boys and I didn’t want to open my messages on WhatsApp, because I was afraid that someone would see a message or a photo from another man,” said the midfielder.
“Many footballers wrote to me to thank me,” says the Czech player, about the repercussions after coming out as gay.
International 45 times
In addition to playing for Getafe and now for Cagliari, Jankto has developed almost his entire career in Italy since he stood out for Slavia Prague. He has played for Udinese, Ascoli and Sampdoria, before the brief stopover at the Madrid club and a loan to Sparta Prague. He has been international with the Czech Republic 45 times (with four goals scored). He has not returned to the national team since the final phase of Euro 2022.
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“I wasn’t scared when I did it,” Jankto recalled of the announcement he aired on February 12 of this year confessing that he was gay. Some reactions on the networks corroborated that the world of football is still homophobic.
“It was a very important moment for me, but after six or seven months, I can’t say it was a mistake. If I could do it again [el anuncio], I would do it, because it helped me and it helped a lot of people. It was a very important moment for all the footballers and many wrote to me to thank me.” The footballer is convinced that he “set a very positive example” for everyone and now he feels very happy “to be able to play without hiding or without be afraid”.
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