Pro-Soccer Coming Out: The problem are the fans!

Since the outing of Anton Hysén homosexuality in pro-soccer is again discussed openly.

Thus, among other things, DFB President Theo Zwanziger its support for a player who comes across confirms. "I would find it brave and welcome, if a soccer player would come out he would have the support of the DFB and from me."

And Andreas Kuhn, spokesman for the German first division club "Hannover 96" makes clear: "If there were with us a gay soccer player to come out - and we would support them if any idiots would call them names." But this is precisely the problem, says an expert on the soccer scene. In the British newspaper The Guardian writes an anonymous soccer player, who himself is not gay, the problem with "coming out would not have the teammates, but the fans.

"The Secret Soccer Player" - the name of the column - said: "I'm pretty sure that a gay footballer would have on his team-mates little problems to come out, if he would strictly guaranteed in theory, that it find no one outside the team would. (...) The dressing room is a tough patch. (...) But that is precisely the reason why a gay football player with his outing would feel comfortable here. A soccer player is a soccer player, and it does not matter whether you're black, white, straight or gay are. "

He is certain: "The reality is that I 'officially' don't know a gay soccer player, although I think I was only one or two 'Jägerbomb' (Note: A shot of Jägermeister in a glass of Red Bull) away from the fact that a team mate would have come out to us as being gay. There is basically one reason why gay soccer players keep their sexual preferences securely locked up: The Fans "

"What soccer fans mostly do on their own, is teasing. But it often happens that they go a little too far. Whether players are abused because of their skin color or because of their nationality, some fans take a cheap punch."

And while the anonymous player has got used to offensive Fans, they can injure young players. "I remember seeing a talented lad a few years ago in the dressing room being in tears seen, because he was insulted by some idiot. He never told anyone what was being said and he was never asked about the incident either, but I can imagine the kind of insults the player heard. "

Anton Hysén made similar experiences: The BBC, he told of a hate mail he has received from a fan: "He writes: '. I will never come back to your games, because you have a fag in your team' (...) He began with: 'Hello, you ugly fag, I show me your games no more, because you've ruined my life I shall never look at football again' "... But can the 20-year-old is not intimidated by, "I'm thinking, OK, what do I do now Should I put myself to please you in a corner and cry?"

Source: GGG.at