Anton Hysen, a 20-year-old professional soccer player in Sweden, came out in an interview with Sweden’s Offside magazine.
Hysen is the son of famed Swedish player Glenn Hysen, a former defender for Liverpool FC and Anton’s current coach at Utsiktens BK of the Swedish second division. Both of his brothers are professional soccer players as well.
Hysen told Offside:
I want to prove that there is no big deal if I’m a footballer and also gay. If I perform as a footballer, then I do not think it matters if I like men or women.
He continued:
There will always be people who can’t tolerate gay people, just like there are people who can’t tolerate immigrants. A club might be interested in me and then the coach might change his mind if he finds out I’m gay, but that is his problem not mine.
There are no openly gay soccer players in any professional divisions across Europe. To this, Hysen added:
“It’s totally sick when you think about it. It’s so f****d up, everything. Where the hell is everyone else?”
As far as we can tell, Hysen is the only openly gay professional soccer player in Europe. If not, he is definitely the highest profile openly gay player.
Homophobia has long been a problem in European soccer. The last professional soccer player to come out while still playing was Justin Fashanu, who came out in 1991 and tragically took his own life seven years later.
—Photo onielpapas/Photobucket
Ahaa, its good conversation regarding this post at this place at this web site, I have read all
that, so at this time me also commenting at this place.
Bernard
Related.. Trackback…
[…]the time to read or visit the content or sites we have linked to below the[…]…
Hi , I am Coach Epah Gyavira . I am a retired Cameroonian International footballer . I am the director of ” Arcadia Shepard’s Soccer Academy ” We have the best under 19 national squad . Our boys are very talented and educated . Do you kindly know of any clubs out there who need a solid midfielder , central defender , attacker ? Below is a link of our photos : http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.174824502573022.55037.100001364218375&l=489eaddc82&type=1 If yes, kindly let me know . Below is a link to one of our prominent players .He is called Tah Vivan . He is currently playing… Read more »
Anton Hysén
Interesting!
Watch the video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzL5ywi1bsk
Anton is 20 years old, not 22.
It’s not Justin “Fashnaru”, btw. It’s Justin Fashanu. Thanks for the great little article with a great big chunk of important socio-political info – the homophobia in sports is contemptible & so is the racism – Fashanu was also black, and football “fans” would throw bananas on the pitch when he took the field. Disgusting.
As for Anton Hysen, he is a hero, a real hero, through and through.
That’s awesome. I wish him the best. It can’t be easy to be openly gay in any professional sports league.
Who cares. He is trying to play soccer not grab peckers. People are way too stupid about stuff like this. How many dudes will say something so nasty about this guy they dont even know. Let him play soccer and be gay. Good for him. And if you are a homophobe and say something nasty about him, you are a loser and I dare you to try and say shit to me with your sorry self