OPINION: Jakub Jankto's coming out - courage very few have shown in football
Homosexuality is a taboo in football with very few exceptions. Something that isn't talked about and most people pretend doesn't exist. A few players have been open about their orientation in the past, but almost always only come out after their careers are over. The most famous of these is former German international Thomas Hitzlsperger, who came out just four months after quitting football.
Now there are literally only a few brave men running around the lawns of major competitions around the world who came out as gay while still active footballers. They include Australians Andy Brennan and Joshua Cavallo, and American Collin Martin.
Now consider that there are over 500 footballers in the Czech top flight alone. So, purely statistically, it is likely that some of them are hiding their orientation. Worldwide, there may be hundreds or thousands of professional players who have not come out. Yet every such announcement from a football star could serve as a wonderful positive example. Teenagers often look up to players as role models, and if they knew that their idol was comfortable coming out, it could make their own search for identity much easier.
Maybe then they wouldn't be afraid to be open about who they are either. They'd be less afraid of reactions or ridicule. And yet, to this day, no footballer known to fans across Europe has dared to do such a thing.
Why? The answer is simple - fear. While society as a whole is moving towards tolerance and acceptance of differences, footballers can reasonably fear what coming out will do to their careers. Snide references referencing homosexuality are common in football booths from the county league to the professional league. Vulgar terms for gay people are not infrequently used by fans, even to refer to clubs, not excluding Sparta.
Worse still, it was not so long ago that football was presided over by Sepp Blatter, who let it be known that 'homosexuality is an ethical and moral issue'. Additionally, what happened regarding rainbow armbands at the World Cup in Qatar is still vividly remembered.
Evra: There are gay players in every club
Former Manchester United and Juventus player Patrice Evra wrote in his book a year ago: "When I was in England, they sent someone in the team to talk about homosexuality. Some of my teammates then said: It's against my faith. If there's a homosexual in the locker room, he needs to get out of the club."
He added: "I myself played with guys who were homosexual. They told me face to face, but otherwise, they were afraid to talk about it. Every club has at least two or three gay players. But in the world of football, if you say it, you're finished."
Jakub Jankto has played 45 games for the Czech national team, has played in the top competitions in Italy and Spain, and currently plays for one of the biggest Czech clubs. There is no doubt that he is the most famous player in the world so far, who announced his orientation during his career.
What will follow is not hard to guess. In the coming hours and days, the news that Jankto is gay will reach most of the world's sports media. And in the future, the sensitive subject will be brought up every time Jankto performs on the field. Both after good performances and (especially) when he does something wrong.
In the Czech environment, the fact that Jankto is a Slavia alumnus who has not been doing well at all since his arrival at Sparta may also play a role in the fans' reactions. He is definitely not at a comfortable stage in his career and today's announcement may make his efforts to restart his football career even more difficult.
I'm sure Jankto has considered all these aspects of his coming out, or even had them clearly outlined to him by people at Sparta. Despite all this, he felt it necessary to come out. Courage that no one in football has ever had.
Courage is also to be credited to Sparta, who supported him in coming out and who, together with him, will again be in the international spotlight after some time. We must hope that the fans will accept Jankto's message in the same way as the people at the club. They are the ones who can either improve Sparta's image (and the image of Czech football as a whole) or significantly decimate it by their reaction to the fact that a homosexual is at the club.
It is appropriate to express our support for Jakub Jankto. And also applaud him for finding the courage to break the taboo that has been almost absolute until now. Football has been a shameful scandal in this respect.
Jankto may become someone who will start a "football revolution" and significantly improve the lives of a lot of men around the world.
