Olivier Giroud: It is ‘impossible’ for gay footballers to come out
'There is still a lot of work in the football world on this subject, to say the least'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Olivier Giroud has said it is “impossible” for footballers to show homosexuality in the sport, admitting he “understands the pain and difficulty” that stops professional players from coming out as gay.
In an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, Giroud said that the experiences of Thomas Hitzlsperger – the former Aston Villa player who came out in 2014 – demonstrated the extent to which football remained out of touch with the modern world.
“It was very emotional,” he said of Hitzlsperger. “This is when I told myself that it was impossible to display his homosexuality in football. In a changing room, there is a lot of testosterone, rooming together, collective showers … It’s tricky but it’s like that.
“I understand the pain and the difficulty of guys coming out; it’s a real test after working on oneself for years. I am ultra-tolerant on it – when I was in Montpellier I was engaged in this fight by posing for [the magazine] Têtu.
“At Arsenal when they asked me to wear the ‘Rainbow Laces’ in support of the gay community, I did it. There is still a lot of work in the football world on this subject, to say the least.”
Hitzlsperger, who retired in 2013, remains the only openly gay player to have played in England’s top tier.
Giroud is currently on international duty with France ahead of their matches against the Netherlands and Uruguay.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments