The Australian midfielder, the first to reveal his homosexuality, moved to England and revealed that discriminatory behavior on the part of the new management was behind his farewell to the Australian club: “I wasn’t allowed on the pitch for political reasons”
In 2021 he was the first footballer in the world to come out, now he is forced to deal with discrimination. The Australian Joshua Cavallo, 26 years old, who has been playing in the English minor leagues with Peterborough Sports since last summer after 4 years spent at Adelaide United, has accused his former club of homophobia. “With the new management it became clear that I wasn’t allowed on the field for political reasons,” he wrote in an Instagram story.
Joshua Horse’s letter
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In the last season Cavallo had never played for Adelaide United, officially due to numerous injuries. But his version is completely different. “My leaving the club had nothing to do with football. The decisions were made by people in positions of power who blocked my opportunities, not because of talent, but because of who I chose to love,” he wrote again on his profile. “It was difficult to accept when I realized that my own club was homophobic. It made me angry to see that many thought I had ended up on the sidelines due to injuries, when in reality it was internal homophobia that kept me on the bench.” Joshua Cavallo’s charges are heavy, and his former teammates are not spared either. “I felt incredibly isolated and started wondering if I had made a mistake in sharing my story. I had the feeling of going back, not only on the pitch, but also in what I thought was a safe place – he added – And discovering a group chat of some teammates making fun of a photo of me and my partner made everything even more painful”
the Adelaide United replica on horseback
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The Australian club, however, immediately responded to the accusations, denying the player’s version. “The Club is deeply disappointed by the claims made and categorically rejects the allegations, including any suggestion that Adelaide United is homophobic. All on-field decisions relating to team selection are made solely on footballing grounds,” the Australian club wrote in a statement. “Adelaide United has always been committed to promoting an inclusive environment for players, staff and fans and we are proud of our ongoing work to promote inclusion in the world of football. Strengthening inclusivity must remain an ongoing objective for the game and The Club looks forward to hosting the fourth edition of the Pride Cup this weekend against Melbourne Victory.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport
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