Czech international footballer Jakub Jankto said on Thursday last week that his coming out as gay earlier in the week was “definitely a relief.”
The 27-year-old Getafe winger, on loan at Czech top-flight side Sparta Prague, became the first active international player to announce that he is gay on Monday last week.
“It was a tough decision, but looking back I’m really happy I made it,” Jankto told the public Czech Radio.
Photo: EPA-EFE 照片：歐新社
“Now I can finally live the way I want and that’s what matters most. It was definitely a relief,” he added in his first interview since coming out in an emotional video on social media.
“I want to give an example to others, to show you can keep doing your job, and I think I have given a very positive example.”
Jankto, who has a three-year-old son with his ex-girlfriend, said he had first told his family that he was gay and then came out to his best friend a year and a half ago.
Photo: EPA-EFE 照片：歐新社
“Then I said it in the locker room a few months ago. My teammates’ reaction was fantastic, they took it in their stride,” he added.
Only a handful of top players have publicly come out as gay while still playing, including Josh Cavallo from Adelaide United in October 2021 and Jake Daniels at English side Blackpool in May 2022.
Jankto’s announcement sparked a wave of support on social media, including from FIFA and UEFA and top clubs from Arsenal to FC Barcelona.
Photo: AFP 照片：法新社
“The reaction was huge, incredible, fantastic,” said Jankto. “This made it much easier for me.”
But he added that he was ready for negative responses when he returned to the pitch as Sparta faced Jablonec in the Czech league on Sunday last week.
“It would be naive to think I can steer clear of that. If someone feels the urge, it’s OK, but I definitely won’t react.”
“The football environment is obviously a bit homophobic; there are a few hundred hooligans associated with each team who will have none of this,” said Jankto.
“But it’s also due to the fact that we don’t have a history of positive examples showing that your sexual orientation does not make a difference.”
Jankto said he expected the negative reactions to wane with time, and that in the end players will not have to make similar statements.
“I hope we’ll get there as early as possible and it will be much easier for these guys than it was for me.”
(AFP)
國際知名捷克足球運動員雅庫布．揚克托上週四表示，他上週稍早的出櫃「絕對是如釋重負」。
這位27歲的赫塔費足球俱樂部〔隸屬西班牙甲級聯賽〕邊鋒，目前被租借到捷克頂級聯賽球隊布拉格斯巴達隊，他上週一公開自己的同性戀身份，成為第一位出櫃的現役國際級球員。
「這是個艱難的決定，但回想起來我真的很高興我做到了」，揚克托對國營捷克廣播電台表示。
「現在我終於可以按照自己想要的方式生活，這才是最重要的。這絕對是如釋重負」，他在社群媒體上發布一段感性的影片後，第一次接受採訪時補充道。
「我想為別人樹立榜樣，證明你可以繼續做好自己的工作。我想我已經給出一個很正面的例子」。
揚克托和他的前女友有個三歲的兒子，他說他最先是告訴家人他是同性戀，然後在一年半前向他最好的朋友出櫃。
「然後我幾個月前在更衣室裡說了。我隊友的反應非常棒，他們處之泰然」，他補充道。
只有少數幾位頂尖球員在現役時公開出櫃，包括2021年10月澳洲阿德雷德聯隊的喬許．卡瓦洛，以及2022年5月英格蘭黑潭足球俱樂部的傑克．丹尼爾斯。
揚克托的聲明在社群媒體上引發了一波支持浪潮，包括國際足總和歐洲足總，以及兵工廠和巴塞隆那等頂尖足球俱樂部。
「反響是巨大、難以置信、奇妙的」，揚克托說。「這讓我好過多了」。
但他補充說，上週日捷克聯賽斯巴達對亞布洛內茨之役，他回到球場時，他已經準備好面對負面回應。
「如果認為我可以避免這種情況，那就太天真了。如果有人有這種衝動，那沒關係，但我絕對不會做出反應」。
「足球的環境顯然有點恐同，每支球隊都有數百名流氓，他們不會有這些」，揚克托說。
「但這也是因為我們沒有歷史上的正面例子表明你的性取向沒有影響」。
揚克托表示，他預計負面反應會隨著時間過去而減弱，最終球員將不必發表類似的聲明。
「我希望我們能儘早達到這個境界，讓未來同志球員的處境會比我好得多」。
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