Fearful Footballers

The First Openly Gay Soccer Player’s Niece Says There Are Seven More Gay Players

Justin-and-Amal

After becoming the first openly gay soccer player in 1990, Justin Fashanu killed himself in 1998, and now his niece is speaking out about what she calls a “dark” world for gay athletes — and her knowledge of seven more gay players.

Speaking to BBC Radio Five Live, Amal Fashanu paints a distressing picture of gay footballers:

“I actually know myself of seven. I will never, ever share their details. I’m not going to out them because I would never do that. You want to be honest, even to help them out, but you just can’t do that. The football world is extremely dark. I don’t even want to imagine being a footballer, what it must be like.”

In the U.S., Los Angeles Galaxy player Robbie Rogers is the only out gay soccer player in the sport. Hopefully more will follow suit and follow in Fashanu’s footsteps in the future.

Listen to Amal’s interview below.

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