Josh Cavallo: Pioneering gay footballer accuses former club of homophobia

Joshua Cavallo – the first man to come out as gay while playing top-tier football – has alleged he was pushed out of his former club due to “internal homophobia”.

Cavallo, who recently joined semi-professional English outfit Stamford AFC after leaving Adelaide United in May last year, made global headlines in 2021 when he came out with the support of his Australian club.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Cavallo alleged that the Adelaide United officials had afterwards sidelined him due to his sexuality, something a spokesperson for the club said it “categorically rejects”.

“All on-field decisions relating to team selection are made solely on footballing grounds,” the club’s statement read.

In the Instagram post, Cavallo wrote that it had taken him a while to “digest how my time at Adelaide United ended” but said he was speaking out because fans deserve honesty.

“It’s hard to swallow when I realised my own club was homophobic. I was angry because people thought I was sidelined based on injuries, when in reality, it was internal homophobia that kept me on the bench.”

A change in management meant “politics” kept him off the pitch and limited his career opportunities, Cavallo said, also alleging a photo of him and his partner was mocked by his teammates in a group chat.

“For the first time, I actually questioned if I should have kept my sexuality a secret.”

A spokesperson for Adelaide United – which is due to take part in its fourth Pride Cup match on Saturday – said it was “extremely disappointed by the claims made”.

“Adelaide United has always been committed to fostering an inclusive environment for players, staff and supporters, and we remain proud of our ongoing work to promote inclusion across football.”

Cavallo has previously spoken about receiving death threats on a near daily basis after his decision to publicly come out, but has said that his only regret is not coming out sooner.

While former professional footballers or those in lower tiers have come out as gay before, Cavallo was the first to do so while actively playing in a premier league.

His 2021 revelation inspired Jake Daniels, who in 2022, at the age of 17, became the first British professional male footballer to come out in more than 30 years.