The footballer Jakub Jankto, who played in Italy for Ascoli, Udinese and Sampdoria between 2014 and 2021, has come out by openly saying that he is gay. Jankto is 27 years old, plays as a midfielder, has almost fifty caps for the Czech Republic national team and is playing for Sparta Prague this season, where he joined on loan from Spanish Liga side Getafe. He said he was gay in a message on social media that ends like this:
I want to live my life freely.
Fearless.
Without prejudices.
Without violence.
BUT with love.I am homosexual and I no longer want to hide.
— Jakub Jankto (@jakubjanktojr) February 13, 2023
So far the cases of coming out in men’s football have been very rare, made by players who are no longer active or participants in minor leagues. In 2021 there was talk of the coming out of the first active professional footballer, Australian Josh Cavallo; in 2022, the first English professional footballer in over thirty years, Jake Daniels, had come out.
Between Udinese and Sampdoria, Jankto played over 150 matches in Serie A, in which he scored 17 goals. He is so far the best-known footballer to have said he is gay.
In the history of men’s professional soccer, very few players have spoken out about their homosexuality in public. Like many other men’s team sports, traditionalist behaviors, when not openly homophobic and racist, have been encouraged for decades, and in part it continues to do so today.