GETAFE’S Jakub Jankto has become the first current La Liga player in Spain to say publicly that he’s gay.
The 27-year-old Czech international winger is back in his native country playing on loan this season for Sparta Prague.
He took to social media on Monday, saying that ‘I want to live my life in freedom, without fear, without prejudice, without violence, but with love’.
“I’m gay and I don’t want to hide anymore,” he finished.
Getafe posted their ‘utmost respect and unconditional support to our footballer, Jakub Jankto’.
The English Premier League said ‘we are with you Jakub, football is for everybody’.
Jankto, who previously played in Italy for Sampdoria and Udinese, is the highest-ranked current European player to ‘come out’ with 45 international caps to his name.
Blackpool teenager Jake Daniels revealed he was gay last spring and became the first current professional player in Europe to do so- some 23 years after Justin Fashanu, who later took his life at the age of 37.
Only a tiny handful of high-profile European players including Olivier Rouyer and Thomas Hitzlsperger have come out, but only once they had retired.