Former A-League star Josh Cavallo has made bombshell claims that his club's homophobia drove him out of football. In a scathing Instagram post, Cavallo accused the Adelaide United management of blocking him from playing after he came out as gay in 2021.
Cavallo alleges that despite being a regular starter and playing over 1,000 minutes for the club between 2020-21 and 2021-22, his opportunities dwindled significantly, with team selection made solely on "footballing grounds." However, the 26-year-old maintains that it was not due to injuries but internal homophobia that kept him on the bench.
He recalls a harrowing incident where teammates allegedly mocked a picture of him and his partner in a group chat. Cavallo has declined to name any individuals involved but insists that he saw firsthand the club's discriminatory behavior.
The midfielder-fullback expressed his disillusionment with the way Adelaide United handled his situation, claiming that it affected not only his career but also his mental wellbeing as a professional footballer.
Despite this, Cavallo took a bold step by coming out in 2021, becoming the first active top-flight male professional footballer to do so. Since then, he has gained an international profile and more than a million Instagram followers.
However, he reveals that coming out was harder than he anticipated, with fears of prejudice affecting his career. The experience left him feeling isolated and questioning whether sharing his story had been a mistake.
In a remarkable turnaround, Cavallo has found solace in the UK, where he is now playing for non-league side Stamford AFC. He hopes to rediscover his passion for football and rebuild his career, stating that the fresh start has helped him "breathe again."
The club has categorically rejected Cavallo's allegations, stating that Adelaide United has always been committed to fostering an inclusive environment for players, staff, and supporters. However, Cavallo's accusations serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights in Australian football.
Cavallo alleges that despite being a regular starter and playing over 1,000 minutes for the club between 2020-21 and 2021-22, his opportunities dwindled significantly, with team selection made solely on "footballing grounds." However, the 26-year-old maintains that it was not due to injuries but internal homophobia that kept him on the bench.
He recalls a harrowing incident where teammates allegedly mocked a picture of him and his partner in a group chat. Cavallo has declined to name any individuals involved but insists that he saw firsthand the club's discriminatory behavior.
The midfielder-fullback expressed his disillusionment with the way Adelaide United handled his situation, claiming that it affected not only his career but also his mental wellbeing as a professional footballer.
Despite this, Cavallo took a bold step by coming out in 2021, becoming the first active top-flight male professional footballer to do so. Since then, he has gained an international profile and more than a million Instagram followers.
However, he reveals that coming out was harder than he anticipated, with fears of prejudice affecting his career. The experience left him feeling isolated and questioning whether sharing his story had been a mistake.
In a remarkable turnaround, Cavallo has found solace in the UK, where he is now playing for non-league side Stamford AFC. He hopes to rediscover his passion for football and rebuild his career, stating that the fresh start has helped him "breathe again."
The club has categorically rejected Cavallo's allegations, stating that Adelaide United has always been committed to fostering an inclusive environment for players, staff, and supporters. However, Cavallo's accusations serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights in Australian football.
this is so sad... i was inspired by cavallo coming out last year & thought it would be a step forward for aussie football 
but now it feels like he was just expected to deal with internal homophobia & not speak out about it 
️ i'm glad cavallo is taking care of himself now, playing for a new team in the uk 
. If Josh Cavallo says he was pushed out due to homophobia, it's gotta be looked into. I'm not saying he didn't have a point, but you can't just dismiss all that drama without checking in with the players 
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. Coming out isn't easy, and if Josh Cavallo had to deal with all that internal crap from his own team... ugh, no wonder he lost his passion for the game 
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. And yeah, it's about time Aussie football got its act together and started treating players like humans 
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. And if they were really worried about his footballing skills, wouldn't they have given him more opportunities? It's all about the cover-ups and gaslighting when you're trying to silence someone who's speaking truth 
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. But at the same time, I'm glad he's speaking out about it because it's a major wake-up call for Australian football 
. That's what happens when you're brave enough to be yourself 
!
I'm not surprised tbh... all those "footballing grounds" sound like a bunch of BS 
. If he's saying that the management was mocking him and his partner... that's just low 
. Anyway, I'm glad he's found a new team in the UK, maybe he can start fresh and find some happiness again 
i'm so proud of josh cavallo for being brave enough to speak out about what he went through 
it's crazy that just 'cause he came out, his chances of playing for adelaide united just disappeared like that 
Stamford AFC, yaaas give him all the love 
we need more players speaking out against homophobia in sports