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Former German international Thomas
Hitzlsperger said on Wednesday he had
decided to become the first prominent
footballer to reveal he was gay to spark a
public debate about homosexuality in sport.

Hitzlsperger, who earned more than 52 caps for
Germany before retiring in September due to a knee
injury, said in an interview with newspaper Die Zeit,
for which he writes a column, that his awareness of
being gay was "a long and difficult process".
"It is only in recent years I have come to realize I
preferred living with a man," he said.
And Hitzlsperger, nicknamed "the hammer" in his
playing days, said he had decided to speak out to
spark a public debate about homosexuality among
professional sportsmen.

“The subject remains stuck in clichés,” he said.

“Professional sportsmen appear perfect ‘disciplined’,
‘hard’, ‘manly’. Homosexuals on the other hand are
seen as ‘bitchy’, ‘soft’, ‘sensitive’.”

“Homosexuality and masculinity are not
contradictory,” he said.

He added: “What has annoyed me is that those who
know least about the subject speak the most about
it.”

Hitzlsperger also said his retirement prompted the
decision to reveal he was gay as it meant he now had
time for the “commitment”.

“The Olympic Games in Sochi are approaching and I
think it needs critical voices who will speak out
against the campaigns run by several governments
against homosexuals,” he said.

The former Aston Villa player described how growing
up in rural Catholic Bavaria meant homosexuality
was seen as “unnatural” and he only became aware
of his homosexuality when he grew up.

He lived with his girlfriend for several years and said
they were happy together. The ex-Stuttgart player
planned to marry but the relationship ended after
eight years six years ago “without his partner
knowing about his feelings for men”.

“Why should I be ashamed? I was never ashamed of
the way I am,” he said in the interview, adding he
had not lied about his sexuality; rather that he had
kept it quiet.

When his girlfriend moved out he lived alone, but the
only comments that sparked from his teammates
was why he had not found someone new.

The former central midfielder spoke with German
head coach Joachim Löw and team manager Oliver
Bierhoff before coming out.

Both men responded “positively”, he said.

The revelations have prompted lots of praise for
Hitzlesperger on Twitter.

The 31-year-old midfielder, who started his career at
Bayern Munich before heading to the English Premier
League to join Aston Villa in 2000, was widely
praised for his decision to come out.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said: "We live
in a country where no-one should be afraid to state
their sexuality for fear of intolerance.

Britain's deputy prime minister Nick Clegg tweeted
his praise to Hitzlsperger as did former England
striker turned television presenter Gary Lineker.
Merkel said in September 2012 that gay footballers
should “have nothing to fear”, but the German
football establishment has been far less encouraging.

In September last year goalkeeping legend Oliver
Kahn warned gay footballers in Germany to keep
their sexuality a secret, while in July the German
Football Association (DFB) told gay players to come
out - but quietly.

A pamphlet from the DFB German football
association advised gay players to wait until the end
of the season.

German striker Mario Gomez has also said
homosexual players should not be afraid to declare
their sexuality, but his former teammate at Bayern
Munich Philipp Lahm and national team captain has
advised against it, saying they would be “exposed to
abusive elements”.



www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2535832/Former-Premier-League-footballer-Thomas-Hitzlsperger-announces-gay.html