Homosexuality is taboo in football, with absolute exceptions. Something that isn't talked about and most people pretend it doesn't exist. A few players have spoken openly about their orientation in the past, but almost always decided to do so after their careers ended. The most famous of them is the former German international Thomas Hitzlsperger, who came out only four months after leaving football.
Now, there are literally only a few brave men playing in major competitions around the world who declared their homosexual orientation while still active footballers. Australians Andy Brennan and Joshua Cavall or the American Collin Martin are the most well known examples - even Blackpool youth player Jake Daniels.
And now bear in mind that there are over 500 football players in the Czech top flight alone. Purely statistically, it is therefore likely that some of them are hiding their orientation. Worldwide, there may be hundreds to thousands of professional players who have not completed coming out. In doing so, any such announcement from a football star could serve as a wonderful positive example. Adolescent teens often look up to players as role models, and knowing that their idol has confidently come forward with their true orientation could make their own search for identity much easier. They would see an example of a person who is not ashamed of who he is.
Maybe then they wouldn't be afraid to openly say who they are. They would be less worried about the reactions of those around them. They would be less withdrawn. And anyway, to this day, no senior football player known to fans across Europe has decided to do such an act - Daniels of Blackpool was just 17 at the time he came out to the public.
Why? The answer is easy - fear. As society as a whole moves towards tolerance and acceptance of differences, footballers may rightly fear what coming out will do to their careers. From the county championship to the professional league, scathing homophobic slurs are common in football. Vulgar names for gays are often used by fans as well, for example when addressing clubs, not excluding Sparta.
Worse still, it was not so long ago that football was presided over by Sepp Blatter, who let it be known that 'homosexuality is an ethical and moral issue'. Additionally, what happened regarding rainbow armbands at the World Cup in Qatar is still vividly remembered.
Evra: Homosexual players are in every club
Former Manchester United and Juventus player Patrice Evra wrote in his book a year ago: "When I was in England, they sent someone to the team to talk about homosexuality. Some of my teammates then said: It's against my faith. If there's a homosexual in the cabin, he must be kicked out of the club."
He added: "I myself played with guys who were gay. They told me to my face, but otherwise they were afraid to talk about it. There are at least two or three gay players in every club. But when you say that in the world of football, you're done."
Jakub Jankto played 45 matches for the Czech national team, played in the highest competitions in Italy and Spain and currently plays for one of the biggest Czech clubs. There is no doubt that he is the most famous player in the world so far, who announced his orientation during his career.
What will follow is not hard to guess. In the coming hours and days, the news that Jankto is gay will reach most of the world's sports media. And in the future, the sensitive subject will be brought up every time Jankto performs on the field. Both after good performances and (especially) when he does something wrong.
In the Czech environment, the fact that Jankto is a Slavia alumnus who has not been doing well at all since his arrival at Sparta may also play a role in the fans' reactions. He is definitely not at a comfortable stage in his career and today's announcement may make his efforts to restart his football career even more difficult.
I'm sure that Jankto has considered all these aspects of his coming out, or that the people in Sparta have also clearly outlined them to him. Despite all this, he felt it necessary to go out with it. Courage that not many players have yet had.
Courage is also to be credited to Sparta, who supported him in coming out and who, together with him, will again be in the international spotlight after some time. We must hope that the fans will accept Jankto's message in the same way as the people at the club. They are the ones who can either improve Sparta's image (and the image of Czech football as a whole) or significantly decimate it by their reaction to the fact that a homosexual is at the club.
It is appropriate to express our support for Jakub Jankto. And also applaud him for finding the courage to break the taboo that has been almost absolute until now. Football has been a shameful scandal in this respect.
Jankto may become someone who will start a "football revolution" and significantly improve the lives of a lot of men around the world.
