Josh Cavallo: Gay Soccer Player Accuses Former Club of Homophobia

The gay Australian footballer Josh Cavallo has leveled serious accusations at his former club Adelaide United, four years after coming out. “Under the new leadership it became clear that I was no longer allowed to take the field for political reasons. It was hard to accept that my own club was homophobic,” the 26-year-old wrote on Instagram: “I was angry, because people assumed I wasn’t playing due to injuries, when in reality it was the internal homophobia that put me on the bench.”

He now plays as a left-back in the lower tiers of English football — specifically in the sixth division. “This fresh start in Britain has helped me catch my breath again, and I hope to rediscover the love for this sport that means so much to me,” Cavallo wrote.

Club responds to allegations
Adelaide United, the A-League club, pushed back in a public statement against Cavallo’s accusations. The club said the allegations were rejected “including any insinuation that Adelaide United is homophobic, in no uncertain terms,” and added: “All decisions regarding the lineup are made solely on sporting grounds.”

Cavallo described the situation differently. His performances in training were “consistently ignored.” Because of this, doubts arose about whether coming out as a professional player had been the right decision. “I felt incredibly isolated and wondered if it had been a mistake to share my story.” He asked himself, “should I have kept my sexuality private?”

A fresh start to rekindle his love for football

Cavallo publicly came out in 2021 — the first player in Australia’s top-flight, the A-League — and last year he publicly revealed that he still receives “daily death threats.” From his experiences, he says the world of football remains a very “toxic space.”

Meanwhile, the left-back is playing in the lower leagues of English football—specifically in the sixth tier. “This fresh start in Britain has helped me breathe again, and I hope to rediscover the love for a sport that means so much to me,” Cavallo wrote.