"Rejected": Club responds to player claims of homophobic abuse

Australian footballer Josh Cavallo has taken to social media to direct explosive allegations of homophobia at his former club Adelaide United.

The 26-year-old, who in 2021 became the first active male professional footballer to come out as gay, alleges he was not selected by the club because of his sexuality and was mocked by his teammates.

In a detailed post, Cavallo claims that leaving the club last year had nothing to do with sport but who he chose to share his life with.

The club has vehemently denied there being any truth to the claims.

In the 2024-25 season Cavallo did not play a single game for Adelaide and was only on the bench on eight occasions.

In July last year he moved to the English National League where he hopes to find peace.

“It’s taken me a while to digest how my time at Adelaide United ended, but I think the fans deserve honesty,” he wrote in a lengthy Instagram post.

“Leaving the club had nothing to do with football. Decisions were made by people in power that blocked my opportunities, not because of my talent, but because of who I choose to love.

“Under the new management, it became clear that I wasn’t allowed on the pitch because of politics. It’s hard to swallow when I realised my own club was homophobic.

“I was angry because people thought I was sidelined based on injuries, when in reality, it was internal homophobia that kept me on the bench. I stayed professional, kept my head down, and worked hard every day which I’m proud of. Yet no matter how much I produced or improved, my contributions were continuously ignored.

“It brought a lot of negativity and affected my wellbeing as a professional footballer.” When Cavallo shared his sexuality publicly he was lauded by athletes around the world and received messages of support from the likes of Gerard Piqué, Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson and Lionel Messi.

He is now engaged to his partner Leighton Morrell.

Cavallo continued to say in the post that his previous fears of being treated differently because of his sexuality had become a reality.

“This was exactly the fear I had about coming out, seeing prejudice affect my career in modern day,” he wrote. “For the first time, I actually questioned if I should have kept my sexuality a secret.

“This brought up fears I had about coming out publicly, that being myself would affect my career. I felt incredibly isolated and wondered if I’d made the mistake of sharing my story.

“I felt things going backwards, not just on the pitch, but in the one place I thought was a safe space and after seeing a group chat of teammates mocking a picture of me and my partner only added to this heartache.”

“This fresh start in the UK has helped me breathe again and I hope I can fall back in love with the sport that means everything to me. Despite the way it ended behind the scenes, I refuse to let it ruin my connection to this city.

“Adelaide is where I found my wings. To the fans and supporters: thank you for your passion and backing. You deserve honesty and success. You were incredible to play in front of. Thank you.”

Adelaide United responded to Cavallo's post with a strongly worded statement.

"Adelaide United is aware of a statement published on social media this morning by former player Josh Cavallo," it read.

"The Club is extremely disappointed by the claims made and categorically rejects the allegations, including any suggestion that Adelaide United is homophobic. All on-field decisions relating to team selection are made solely on footballing grounds.

"Adelaide United has always been committed to fostering an inclusive environment for players, staff and supporters and we remain proud of our ongoing work to promote inclusion across football.

"Strengthening inclusivity must remain an ongoing focus for the game, and the Club looks forward to hosting the fourth annual Pride Cup this weekend against Melbourne Victory.

"The Club will not be making any further comment at this time."

Reacting to the post and congratulating Cavallo for his bravery, SEN's Cam Mooney said.: “We want people to come out and be themselves, but we are still living in the dinosaur age.

“What Josh is saying is happening will stop people coming out. What he says about his teammates, that one kicks me.

“Well done for coming out and saying that. I Do hope you fall back in love with the game but this doesn’t look good for Adelaide United.

“We keep talking about when its going to happen in AFL, unfortunately it’s not just as simple as coming out.”