Ten years after Hitzlsperger
Why hasn’t there been a coming out in the Bundesliga yet?
January 8, 2024, 7:23 p.m
It has now been ten years since Thomas Hitzlsperger came out. No active professional in the Bundesliga has yet imitated him. Football has progressed elsewhere.
Thomas Hitzlsperger is not surprised that he is still being asked about the topic. The fact that homosexuality still seems to be something extraordinary, at least in the general public’s perception, has only changed to a limited extent since the former national soccer player came out. The fact that no active professional in this country has yet made his homosexuality public also raises the question: How diverse are we really?
“It’s not just a problem in professional football, but also in other areas of society, as I’ve experienced over the last ten years,” said Hitzlsperger. “Otherwise, many more players would have come out after their career, but that didn’t happen. It’s still a problem for many people when you deviate from the social norm.”
On January 8, 2014, Hitzlsperger made his homosexuality public – at the second attempt and only after the end of his active career. “Above all, it was exciting. I was well prepared and tense, but also really happy with how it turned out,” said the now 41-year-old, looking back on his coming out, which caused a huge stir at the time. “I’ve had almost entirely positive reactions.”
“Many things have improved”
Ten years have passed since then. The German professional clubs have done a lot when it comes to diversity. There has not yet been a coming out like that of the Czech Jakub Jankto, who is now playing in Italy, last February.
Are you worried about negative reactions in the stadium, in the dressing room or on social networks? Are you afraid of potentially ruining your chance of changing clubs? Everyone is likely to have their own reasons. The clubs can do little more than demonstrate tolerance and openness – and thereby perhaps alleviate these concerns.
Rainbow colors on corner flags, jerseys or captain’s armbands. Action days. Gay and lesbian fan clubs. Clubs that took part in Christopher Street Day, such as 1. FC Köln or VfB Stuttgart. A lot has been done to further sensitize society. “There are many things that have improved,” said Hitzlsperger. “In general, I see German football on the right track in terms of diversity. A change has taken place in the clubs,” said Jost Peter from the fan alliance “Our Curve”. “They position themselves more strongly and represent their values more clearly to the outside world.”
“I’m sure it will happen in the coming years”
Alexander Wehrle, Hitzlsperger’s successor as CEO of VfB Stuttgart, also sees great efforts. “I think there has been a lot of preparation in this country in recent years for the coming out of an active professional footballer,” explained the 48-year-old, who is openly gay. “I’m sure this will happen in the years to come – maybe not by a single person, but by a group.”
Former youth national player Marcus Urban recently declared that he wanted to organize such a group coming out together with colleagues. “If everyone involved feels comfortable with it and not pressured, I think that’s wonderful,” said Hitzlsperger. “It would generate enormous attention and certainly encourage other people.”
Ultimately, coming out is an “individual decision that I encourage, but that I would never demand of someone affected,” said Wehrle. If a player approached him, “I would speak positively to him, inform the team and then sensitize media representatives so that they can report on it for a day, but they shouldn’t exploit it forever.”
First of all, break traditions
Sexual openness has long been normal in women’s football. But it is also “a much younger sport,” explained Swedish world-class player Magdalena Eriksson recently. Since last summer she has been playing with her Danish partner Pernille Harder at FC Bayern Munich.
“A lot has become established in traditional men’s football over more than 100 years. Women’s football is therefore more influenced by modern views,” said Eriksson. Maybe men’s football could still learn from women here and there.
Fan representative Peter also believes that “traditions still have to be broken” in the men’s area. In his opinion, at least in his own stadium, a player would not have to fear any negative reactions after coming out. A lot has also happened in the corners. But sometimes there are still homophobic comments there.
“Unfortunately, even progressive fans refer to apparent traditions in the corners, especially when insulting the opponent,” said Peter. A problem that is not exclusive to football. In general, according to the chairman of the fan organization, “despite all efforts, the issue of homophobia is far from being resolved, especially in the world of sports.” Not even ten years after Hitzlsperger’s coming out.