Former Actual Madrid and Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has deleted a tweet that mentioned he was homosexual – saying his account was hacked.
Casillas tweeted in Spanish: “I hope you respect me: I am homosexual,” earlier than his former Spain team-mate Carles Puyol replied: “It is time to inform our story.”
The tweet was reside for greater than an hour earlier than being deleted.
Casillas later tweeted: “Hacked account. Fortunately every part so as. Apologies to all my followers.”
The tweet added: “After all, extra apologies to the LGBT group.”
Puyol additionally tweeted an apology, saying: “I’ve made a mistake. Sorry for a slipshod joke with no dangerous intentions and completely misplaced. All my respect and help for the LGTBIQA+ group.”
Casillas break up from his spouse Sara Carbonero final March. They’ve two kids.
Earlier than Casillas’ preliminary tweet was deleted, Adelaide United participant Josh Cavallo, who got here out final October, criticised Casillas and Puyol for apparently joking about popping out.
“Joking and making enjoyable out of popping out in soccer is disappointing,” Cavallo tweeted.
“It is a troublesome journey that any LGBTQ+ individuals need to undergo. To see my function fashions and legends of the sport make enjoyable out of popping out and my group is past disrespectful.”
Few high-profile present or former male gamers have ever come out as overtly homosexual within the sport.
Earlier this 12 months, teenager Jake Daniels grew to become the primary skilled within the UK males’s recreation for greater than 30 years to return out whereas nonetheless enjoying.
The 17-year-old Blackpool participant mentioned the choice would enable him to be “free and assured”.
Casillas, who retired in 2020, joined Actual Madrid aged 9 and made 725 appearances for the membership throughout a 16-year profession on the Bernabeu, successful three Champions League titles and 5 La Liga crowns.
He moved to Porto in 2015, successful two Primeira Liga titles and one Portuguese Cup, however his enjoying profession ended after he suffered a coronary heart assault throughout coaching in April 2019. He later joined the membership’s teaching workers.
In addition to successful the 2010 World Cup, he helped Spain to 2 successive European Championships in 2008 and 2012, and received 167 caps between 2000 and 2016.
