Spanish Soccer Star Says Hackers Posted His 'I'm Gay' Tweet
LGBTQ+ soccer fans were thrilled when Spanish soccer star Iker Casillas appeared to come out with an Oct. 9 tweet. But now Casillas says his Twitter account was hacked, and has offered his apologies.
As previously reported, the tweet, posted in Spanish, read: "I hope you respect me: I'm gay."
UK newspaper the that the 41-year-old retired goalkeeper, who is considered one of the greats in the sport, took to Twitter soon after the tweet went out to advise his followers, "Hacked account."
"Luckily everything in order," the new tweet read. "Apologies to all my followers. And of course, more apologies to the LGBT community."
The "I'm gay" tweet was deleted from Casillas' Twitter feed — but not before it "drew a response from another former Spain international, Carles Puyol, implying the two were in a relationship," the Guardian detailed.
"Puyol did not claim his account was hacked, instead apologizing for 'a clumsy joke with no bad intentions,'" the Guardian article added.
"He added: 'I understand that it may have hurt sensitivities. All my respect and support for the LGTBIQA+ community.'"
Not everyone bought the explanation that Casillas' Twitter account was hacked, said UK newspaper the Daily Mail, noting that "former Liverpool and Newcastle defender Jose Enrique has called Casillas a liar for saying he was hacked."
Another high-profile athlete who slammed the tweet and Puyol's joking response was openly gay soccer star Josh Cavallo, who sent out a tweet of his own that declared: "@IkerCasillas and @Carles5Puyol joking and making fun out of coming out in football is disappointing."
Cavallo, who came out last year, added: "It's a difficult journey that any LGBTQ+ ppl have to go through. To see my role models and legends of the game make fun out of coming out and my community is beyond disrespectful."
Blackpool forward Jake Daniels, who cited Cavallo as an inspiration when he came out this past May, retweeted Cavallo's message.
"Although openly gay players remain rare in the men's game, some progress has been made in recent years," the Guardian noted. "In 2012, the former Germany and Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger came out shortly after calling time on his playing career. The following year, the former Leeds midfielder Robbie Rogers did the same, eventually reversing his retirement to play for LA Galaxy in MLS."
The Guardian went on to recall that last summer "two Scottish referees, Craig Napier and Lloyd Wilson, came out as gay — with the Gala Fairydean Rovers striker Zander Murray following their example last month to become Scotland's first senior male player to do so."