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O/T: Hitzlsperger: I Am Gay

Jordinho

Jordinho

Martin Peters
Staff member
Former Aston Villa and West Ham midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger has revealed he is gay.

He is the highest-profile footballer to 'come out' and he follows in the footsteps of the American Robbie Rogers, who was the first in recent times when he revealed his sexuality last year.

Hitzlsperger won 52 caps for Germany and finished his career at Stuttgart last year, retiring because of injury.

In an interview with Germany's Time magazine, he said: "It has been a long and difficult process...only in recent years has it dawned on me that I would prefer to live with another man."

Hitzlsperger, 31, says he does not know any other players in Germany who are gay.

www1.skysports.com/football/news/12...am-star-thomas-hitzlsperger-reveals-he-is-gay
 
Brave of him to come out. Hopefully this is the start towards a future where openly gay footballers doesn't cause any raised eyebrows.
 
he shouldnt even have to announce his sexuality to the world... it doesnt matter!

Sportspeople should only be judged by there performances and not have to be labelled as gay/ straight/ post op / whatever...


It is sad that homophobic attitudes are ripe all over the world... still!
 
Fair play to him. Hopefully we will get to a place eventually where this kind of story isn't the main headline on the BBC sport website because it's not a big deal.
 
I get the feeling it would be more of an issue with fans in this country than many others
 
Do you reckon something like this would be hard to keep under wraps really if you were at a club for say 5 Years. With all the banter surely a lot of your team mates would have am inkling.

Fair play to him. Still think its gonna take a big name with balls of steel to come out to really get the ball rolling.

Its the f**kin imbread fans that would take forever to let it go.
 
There is still a stigma with homosexuality in football, more so than other sports. Even in today's society, very few footballers come out before they retire, if at all. I don't know whether it is fear of being ostracised by their colleagues in the dressing room, the abuse from fans, fear of losing commercial revenue etc.

It should never matter but at the same time, more gay footballers 'coming out' can help speed up the process of eventual indifference!
 
Robbo said:
Brave of him to come out. Hopefully this is the start towards a future where openly gay footballers doesn't cause any raised eyebrows.
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Agreed.

the fox in the box said:
he shouldnt even have to announce his sexuality to the world... it doesnt matter!

Sportspeople should only be judged by there performances and not have to be labelled as gay/ straight/ post op / whatever...


It is sad that homophobic attitudes are ripe all over the world... still!
Click to expand...

Yeah, in an ideal world it wouldn't matter and him announcing it would be a non-story. We don't live in that ideal world though.

Good for him and good for him coming out in public.
 
I don't really consider it as brave considering he waited until he'd retired to "come out".
 
Good on him.

Test will be if a playing player comes out. Not sure how things are going for Robby Rogers in the MLS (but I wouldn't expect any problems in LA at least) but even in Holland, not one player has come out. It also doesn't help that gay slurs are still sung in Dutch stadiums too. Fans also wish cancer upon referees in Holland. Most of the stupids probably don't realize what they're doing though. Outside of the stadium I doubt that they'd be homophobes or personally wish a referee to die of cancer.
 
Wow, never realised Hitzlsperger won 52 caps for Germany.

I think the best way for footballers to come out would be for a half dozen of them to do it at the same time. Get the buy-in of their clubs, supporters' trusts, FA, EPL and PFA (all of whom would be supportive I presume) and have a big press conference. Spread the burden of it and just get it done.

I'd say abuse from the terraces would peak early and fade. It would also overwhelmingly become a problem among pockets of away fans - most supporters these days would be mortified if homophobic chants were flying around their own ground, and certainly the clubs wouldn't like it.
 
chancer said:
Wow, never realised Hitzlsperger won 52 caps for Germany.

I think the best way for footballers to come out would be for a half dozen of them to do it at the same time. Get the buy-in of their clubs, supporters' trusts, FA, EPL and PFA (all of whom would be supportive I presume) and have a big press conference. Spread the burden of it and just get it done.

I'd say abuse from the terraces would peak early and fade. It would also overwhelmingly become a problem among pockets of away fans - most supporters these days would be mortified if homophobic chants were flying around their own ground, and certainly the clubs wouldn't like it.
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In England I certainly think this is the case, and obviously some other league too...

Some players have the luxury of never having to worry about playing in other leagues. For a younger player to come out openly gay now what then if the best financial opportunity for him later in his career would be to move to Russia?

I agree with you that a number of people doing it at the same time would be good. Hopefully it could help change minds...
 
It's good people are coming out. The only problem in the future will be if two players in the same team are having a relationship, that could affect morale etc
 
spitshine said:
It's good people are coming out. The only problem in the future will be if two players in the same team are having a relationship, that could affect morale etc
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What could possibly happen that could be any worse than Wayne Bridge John Terry?
 
braineclipse said:
In England I certainly think this is the case, and obviously some other league too...

Some players have the luxury of never having to worry about playing in other leagues. For a younger player to come out openly gay now what then if the best financial opportunity for him later in his career would be to move to Russia?
Click to expand...


Good point. England is one thing, but apart from perhaps Germany which would also be relatively socially liberal, it would be a hell of a lot harder for players in Spain, Italy and certainly holes like Russia. Or, as you say, if the gay player wanted to subsequently move to one of those countries.
 
Why is this newsworthy? Why do people think it is 'nice' for anyone to 'come out' or need to come out? What the **** does it even mean? What a peculiar world we live in where this makes the front page of our National media. Who actually gives a **** about a player's sexuality? Religion? Political Beliefs? What watch they've bought this week? It's football but alas tainted by this malaise of a celebrity culture where people somehow think they have the right to know what someone in the spotlight eats, drinks, buys or ****s. Baffling shower of ********.
 
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