It was the “only place” he considered “as a refuge.” But, ultimately, Joshua Cavallo, the first active footballer to have come out, had to leave his Australian club Adelaide United because the management “was homophobic”, he announced Tuesday in a long publication on Instagram, accompanied by a photo of his companion.
“My departure from the club had nothing to do with football. Decisions were made by people in power who blocked my opportunities, not because of my talent, but because of the person I chose to love, said Joshua Cavallo. People thought I was sidelined because of injuries, when in reality it was homophobia that put me on the bench.”
Joshua Cavallo, 26, who publicly affirmed his homosexuality in October 2021, also mentions “a discussion group of teammates” to “make fun of a photo of (him) and (his) partner. »
“New beginning”
“That was exactly the fear I had when coming out, that of seeing prejudice affect my career”, continued the left-back: “For the first time, I asked myself if I should have kept my sexuality a secret (…) I felt incredibly isolated and I wondered if I had made a mistake in sharing my story”.
Having left this Australian premier division club in July 2025, Joshua Cavallo now hopes to “fall in love with this sport again” thanks to a “new start in the United Kingdom”, at Peterborough United, in the English sixth division.
For its part, the Australian club “categorically” rejected Joshua Cavallo’s accusations in a press release: “All decisions relating to the composition of the team are made exclusively on sporting criteria.”
