Gay footballer claims top players are 'faking girlfriends and marriages' to hide sexuality
An ex-footballer has claimed some gay players have fake girlfriends.
Former German footballer Marcus Urban has claimed there are gay players in today’s game who either have fake girlfriends or enter sham marriages to hide their sexuality. The former midfielder has shared his thoughts in a new book.
Urban featured for Rot-Weiss Erfurt in the German second division during the 1980s and early 1990s and also played for the East Germany youth team. He quit football in 1991 and came out to friends and family a few years later. The 54-year-old then came out publicly in 2007 and is now a campaigner on diversity issues in sport.
Urban features in the new book Mensch Fussballstar, which is due to be released later this month.
And German publication Bild have released exclusive excerpts in advance of the book’s launch, with Urban explaining: “Yes, I was the first gay footballer in Germany to come out at the time. When Thomas Hitzlsperger came out, it was thought that it could be a turning point.
“But it wasn't really right. Thomas also seems surprised to me that no one actually comes out any further, not even those after their career. There is no reason to hide anymore.”
The former player goes on to state: “Many gay footballers have organized themselves in the background in the meantime. In groups of between 20 and 40 people.
“But it is only the tip of the iceberg. Many are lone wolves, do their own thing and we don't even know about many of them yet.
“Because yes, even today fear still too often beats courage. The fear results from losing the job, losing the reputation.
“The people around the players who tell them they shouldn't come out, they shouldn't live freely so that they can continue to make money.”
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He then adds: “In the past, it was always said that the media and fans were to blame for the fact that no one came out. I think today it's just the fears of the players and the people around them, at least here, where we are, in the middle of Europe.
“I think almost all the media would support it. I also honestly believe that the fans would no longer be the problem. Neither do the clubs. Today, it's more about the internal climate.
“And then there are again branches of business within the organised gay footballers. Fake girlfriends are organized, sham marriages are arranged.
“At the same time, there are agencies that set up sex meetings. They also earn good money with it again. But the players' advisors also organise this partly for their clients and then have the players in their hands.”
