On 19 February UK professional footballer Justin Fashanu (on the right photo) would be 50 years old. This day is International Day against Phobia in Sport. Fashanu committed suicide at the age of 37 and was named in his honor.

Fashanu was the first male professional footballer who said publicly that he was homosexual and since then denounced that he had suffered LGBTI pressures and attacks. On October 22, 1990 you could read in The Sun newspaper “One Million Pounds of Star Football: GAY-A NAIZ”. Nottingham was in Forest, and the coach didn't see the ad well. There were polemics, and some of his teammates made opposite messages saying homosexuals had no place in collective sports.

In 1998, a 17-year-old boy was charged with sexual assault. Fashanu left a note: “I’ve realized I’ve already been punished as a culprit. I don’t want to be more embarrassed for my family and friends.” He committed suicide and months later it became known that the case was closed because there was no evidence.

It took a decade when French player Olivier Rouyer publicly announced his gay art status in 2008. By then he had finished his football career. Of all players in football history, only sixteen men publicly declare gays. Sixteen out of every hundred thousand men who have been professional footballers. It is obvious that this figure is probably much higher, but many have decided to keep it hidden or not open to the four winds. It is an absolutely legitimate decision, of course, but it raises many questions.

Czech Jakub Jankto has just released a video on social media saying it is homosexual and encourages others to leave without fear. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, LGBTBIphobia and widespread football have been clearly seen. The message sent from Qatar was that everyone was “welcome” as long as they did not show any affection in public. If it was hiding. In Qatar, it's not legal for LGBTI to be a collective, as in one in three countries in the world. And FIFA has done nothing against LGBTBIphobia, at least in practice. At the World Cup it was decided that for “security” they would ban LGTBI flags at the stadium to “protect” them from attacks by LGTBIfobos. To protect it, hide it again.

These weeks it has been reported that Jakub Jankto is gay. But that should still be news. We are far from that: only sixteen have left the shield. And in the groups of our peoples? How many unprofessional men say they're gay? Perhaps we should start working on the issue from the virility model of football.