Josh Cavallo brands Iker Casillas ‘beyond disrespectful’ for jokingly coming out as gay stunt
Puyol #Puyol
Adelaide United left-back Josh Cavallo has branded retired stars Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol as ‘beyond disrespectful’ after the goalkeeper posted that he coming out as gay in order to stop rumours about his dating life.
Cavallo came out as gay last October through a video on his club’s social media pages and was the first active footballer to do so, but he is now ‘disappointed’ to see his role models’ making fun’ of what people in the LGBTQ+ community have to go through.
He tweeted: ‘@IkerCasillas and @Carles5puyol joking and making fun out of coming out in football is disappointing.
‘It’s a difficult journey that any LGBTQ+ ppl have to go through. To see my role models and legends of the game make fun out of coming out and my community is beyond disrespectful.’
Casillas started the stunt when he tweeted: ‘I hope you respect me: I’m gay,’ as he reportedly was fed up with rumours about his dating life since he split with his wife Sara Carbonero.
The tweet has since been deleted with the goalkeeper claiming that his account was hacked. However former Liverpool and Newcastle defender Jose Enrique has called Casillas a liar for saying he was hacked.
The former Real Madrid and Spain goalkeeper won everything in his career at club and international level along with Puyol.
Josh Cavallo branded Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol for joking about coming out as gay
Cavallo is currently the most prominent openly gay footballer in world football
Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol have come under fire after comments on social media
The matter was made worse as former Barcelona captain Puyol joined in as he replied to the tweet saying: ‘It is time to tell our story Iker’.
Other fans on social media have criticised Casillas and Puyol for their antics on social media with one tweeting: ‘Homosexuality is not something to “joke,” about in any context.
‘And to do so as two footballing legends with enormous platforms, is so tone deaf it beggars belief.’
Football fans have heavily criticised the two former players on social media
Another tweeted: ‘@IkerCasillas you’re an utter disgrace. People kill themselves because they feel like they can’t come out & be their authentic self & u go & do this like it’s some funny f&cking joke.
‘The homophobic abuse is beyond & probably has triggered a lot of people. Grow up you pathetic boy.’
A third said: ‘So in big 2022, the struggle of the lgbtq+ community – especially those trapped in the closet in men’s football – to come out and accept themselves publicly is still just a joke to the stupid straight man.’
A fourth put: ‘High profile, grown men using being gay as a punchline only making it harder for their gay colleagues to be able to come out is disgusting.
‘Football and ‘football twitter’ is just rife with homophobia and it makes me so angry that these two would dare pull a stunt like this.’
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