Football’s First Openly Gay Player Accuses Former Club of Homophobia

The first openly gay footballer accused his former club of homophobia as he explained the reasons behind his departure.

In October 2021, in a trail-blazing move Josh Cavalho came out as gay while contracted to Adelaide United and received a plethora of supportive messages from high-profile names including Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson, Gary Lineker and Antoine Griezmann.

He was the first player to come out and reveal his sexuality since Justin Fashanu in 1990. His courage prompted former Blackpool player to Jake Daniels to come out in 2022 at the age of 17 as the first openly gay footballer from the UK.

Cavalho, an Australia Under 20 international, joined Adelaide in February 2021 but in the 2024/25 campaign he did not make a single appearance and only made the bench on eight occasions.

Josh Cavalho claimed the club he played for were complicit in internal homophobia. Image: Getty

That led to the left-back leaving and signing for English side Peterborough Sports in the National League North before moving to semi-professional outfit Stamford AFC.

However on Monday, Cavalho lifted the lid on his exit in an explosive statement of Instagram.

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Telling the club's fans that they "deserve honesty", he said he did not leave for football reasons and stated that he had opportunities "blocked" and "realised my own club was homophobic".

Setting the record straight, Cavalho said that "internal homophobic" kept him on the bench and questioned whether he should have remained silent about his sexuality.

Cavalho also claimed that in a group chat, teammates of his mocked a picture of him and his partner, who he proposed to on the pitch at Adelaide's Coopers Stadium.

"It's taken me a while to digest how my time at Adelaide United ended, but I think the fans deserve honesty," Cavalho wrote.

"Leaving the club had nothing to ‍do with football. Decisions were made by people in power that blocked my opportunities, not because of my talent, but because of who I choose to ‌love.

"It became clear that I wasn't allowed on the pitch because of politics. It's hard to swallow when ‌I realised my own club was homophobic.

"I was angry because people thought I was sidelined based on injuries, when in reality, it was internal homophobia that kept me on the bench."

Cavalho has moved to England and plays for Stamford AFC. Image: Getty

He added: "I stayed professional, kept my head down, and worked hard every day which I’m proud of. Yet no matter how much I produced or improved, my contributions were continuously ignored. It brought a lot of negativity and affected my wellbeing as a professional footballer.

"This was exactly the fear I had about coming out, seeing prejudice affect my career in modern day. For the first time, I actually questioned if I should have kept my sexuality a secret. This brought up fears I had about coming out publicly, that being myself would affect my career. I felt incredibly isolated and wondered if I’d made the mistake of sharing my story. I felt things going backwards, not just on the pitch, but in the one place I thought was a safe space and after seeing a group chat of teammates mocking a picture of me and my partner only added to this heartache."

Adelaide respond to Cavalho claims

Moving to Stamford, the 26-year-old said that a fresh start has "helped me breathe again" and thanked the fans for "your passion and backing" as he refused to ruin his connection to the city.

The club issued a response where they said they "categorically" reject "any suggestion that Adelaide United is homophobic" and pointed towards their work on creating "an inclusive environment" for all.

As per Sky Sports, the club commented: "Adelaide United is aware of a statement published on social media this morning by former player Josh Cavallo.

"The club is extremely disappointed by the claims made and categorically rejects the allegations, including any suggestion that Adelaide United is homophobic. All on-field decisions relating to team selection are made solely on footballing grounds.

"Adelaide United has always been committed to fostering an inclusive environment for players, staff and supporters and we remain proud of our ongoing work to promote inclusion across football.

"Strengthening inclusivity must remain an ongoing focus for the game, and the club looks forward to hosting the fourth annual Pride Cup this weekend against Melbourne Victory.

"The club will not be making any further comment at this time."