Spanish Soccer Star Celebrates Team's Promotion by Coming Out
When Spanish soccer team Marbella FC achieved a promotion, goalie Alberto Lejárraga took to Twitter to celebrate the moment with a photo of him and his boyfriend sharing a passionate kiss.
UK newspaper the Mirror detailed that the team "won promotion to Spain's fourth-tier Segunda RFEF division on Sunday with a 1-0 victory over Real Jaen," prompting Lejárraga to send out a tweet that included several photos of himself and his family celebrating, including the lip-lock with his unidentified boyfriend. Another photo showed the joyous couple embracing in jubilation.
"Thank you very much for always being by my side, through good times and not-so-good times," the goalie wrote. "This time we got to experience the beauty of this." The 28-year-old athlete signed off with a pair of heart emojis.
Time.News noted that "it is the first time that the 28-year-old has published a photo in which he openly shows his sexual orientation in public, an unprecedented event in the world of men's football..."
The article added, "In the case of the province, only one high-level male athlete had made his homosexuality public, becoming a national reference in the defense of the LGTBI collective in sport: The Olympic swimmer Carlos Peralta."
"The response from fans was overwhelming, with many applauding his decision to publicly reveal his sexuality in a world in which such moments are still rare," the Mirror relayed.
"Thank you, for being brave and not hiding and being free!!!" one fan posted in the tweet's comments.
Another wrote: "I love you for being who you are: brave, honest, respectful, intelligent. You deserve all the good that the future holds for you and you will always be supported by the people who truly love you."
A third gave Lejárraga props for his public embrace of authenticity, posting, "Congratulations on living your life with normalcy."
Another fan offered his support in a rainbow flag-adorned post that read: "It is time for athletes to express themselves naturally. Bravo to you, your partner and your family and long live freedom and visibility! 👍👏 ⚽️🏳️🌈"