CNN
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Former Real Madrid and Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has said his Twitter account was hacked after receiving widespread criticism for posting a tweet claiming he was gay.
In a now-deleted post on his official Twitter account, Casillas wrote on Sunday, “I hope I will be respected: I am gay.”
In response, former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol replied: “Now is the time to tell our story, Iker.”
Casillas, who has two children with his ex-wife, deleted the message shortly after it was sent and later apologized.
The original tweet came amid Spanish media gossip that has linked Casillas to multiple women since his divorce.
“Account hacked. Luckily everything is in order. My apologies to all my followers. And of course, no more apologies to the LGBT community,” he said. wrote.
Puyol also later apologized in a Twitter Publishwriting: “I messed up. I apologize for a clumsy joke that wasn’t malicious at all but was totally off topic.
“I understand that I could have hurt people’s feelings. All my respect and support for the LGBTIQA+ community. »
Adelaide United player Josh Cavallo, who came out as gay last year, said it was “disappointing” to see two playing icons “kidding” on the subject.
“Joking around and making fun of coming out in football is disappointing. It’s a tough journey that every LGBTQ+ person has to go through,” Cavallo wrote on Twitterbefore Casillas claimed to have been hacked.
“To see my role models and legends of the game laughing out loud and my community is beyond disrespected.”
Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon also said the incident highlighted the work that needed to be done to make football more welcoming, after early posts sparked multiple homophobic comments.
“Yes, we are at the top of the league (for now). More importantly, social media still shows today how far we are from reality,” he said. tweeted.
“Whether Casillas was hacked or not: I see too many messages that are far away. Waiting for the day when it wouldn’t be news, because in fact that’s the problem here.
There are very few openly gay men playing professional football and it comes at a time when the sport’s governing bodies say they are trying to make the game more inclusive.
Without directly referring to Casillas’ tweet, the Spanish Sports Council (CSD) posted a tweet on Sunday, showing its headquarters adorned with rainbow decorations, which read: “Much to do, to advance, to educate and raise awareness. We will continue.
