Soccer legend Iker Casillas, one of many biggest goalkeepers within the historical past of the game, says his Twitter account had been hacked when it revealed a publish saying he was homosexual.
“Cuenta hackeada. Por suerte todo en orden. Disculpas a todos mis followers. Y por supuesto, mas disculpas a la comunidad LGTB,” the retired Spaniard wrote on Twitter early on Monday morning, Australian time.
Translation: “Hacked account. Fortunately every little thing so as. Apologies to all my followers. And naturally, extra apologies to the LGBT group.”
Just a few hours earlier, in a publish that was later deleted, Casillas’ account tweeted: “Espero que me respeten: soy homosexual.” In English: “I hope you respect me: I’m homosexual.”
The publish swiftly racked up a whole bunch of hundreds of likes and retweets earlier than it disappeared greater than an hour later.
Carles Puyol, one other legendary Spanish footballer who was a teammate of Casillas on the nationwide degree (and rival at home degree) for a few years, was amongst these reacting.
“Es el momento de contar lo nuestro, Iker,” Puyol wrote, together with a love coronary heart emoji. “It’s the second to inform our story.”
Puyol’s publish has additionally since been deleted.
‘Mendacity to everybody’: Soccer world fumes
The deletions left followers not sure whether or not to take Casillas’ obvious announcement severely. Spanish media reported he might have been jesting, having grown pissed off with hypothesis about his love life within the press.
The retired star was most not too long ago linked to actress Alejandra Onieva, and earlier than that, the Colombian singer Shakira.
Earlier than Casillas claimed he’d been hacked, plenty of voices within the sporting world criticised him for apparently making a joke out of popping out.
“Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol joking and making enjoyable out of popping out in soccer is disappointing,” Australian participant Josh Cavallo, who got here out as homosexual a yr in the past, wrote on Twitter.
“It’s a troublesome journey that any LGBTQ+ individuals need to undergo. To see my function fashions and legends of the sport make enjoyable out of popping out and my group is past disrespectful.”
Former Manchester United participant Jonny Sharples labelled Casillas and Puyol’s tweets “pathetic”.
“All they’ve achieved is to embolden the homophobic attitudes which might be already rife inside soccer and inside soccer fandom,” mentioned Sharples.
“Sluggish progress is being made. Issues like this make it even slower.”
“Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol ought to be ashamed,” mentioned CBS soccer reporter Ben Jacobs.
“Making a joke about popping out shouldn’t be solely pathetic and sickening, nevertheless it fuels homophobia. It achieves precisely the other of what we would like soccer to be: a secure, inclusive and respectful house. Misplaced all respect for each gamers.
“It normalises joking about being homosexual. And the horrible homophobic replies to the ‘announcement’ may simply postpone those that are contemplating popping out within the sport. Only a horrible and unnecessary joke, fortunately now deleted.”
And later, responding to Casillas’ declare that he was hacked, former Valencia, Villareal and Liverpool participant Jose Enrique accused him of “lying to everyone” as a substitute of “apologising and recognising the error”.
Fixed highlight
Casillas break up from his spouse, sports activities journalist Sara Carbonero, final yr, having been married to her for half a decade. They’ve two youngsters collectively.
“At the moment our love as a pair takes completely different however not distant paths, since we’ll proceed collectively within the marvellous process of constant to be devoted mother and father, as now we have been up till now,” he mentioned in an announcement on the time.
“It is a nicely thought of determination which now we have taken by mutual settlement.”
He mentioned each he and Carbonero felt “enormously proud” of their household and had “shared a love that has stuffed us with happiness throughout all our years collectively”.
“The respect, affection and friendship will stay ceaselessly,” Casillas mentioned.
“Our precedence is, by affection and compromise, to share the wellbeing and schooling of our youngsters and defend them in order that they develop in a steady and wholesome setting.
“With these phrases we ask you to respect our privateness on this second of change.”
Carbonero posted the identical assertion on her personal social media channels.
Late final month, Casillas was pressured to disclaim hypothesis that he was courting Shakira, who had not too long ago break up from one other Spanish footballer, Gerard Pique.
“Contact your nostril. OMG,” he wrote on Instagram, having shared screenshots of articles spreading the hearsay.
Shakira and Pique broke up in June, ending a 12-year relationship. Like Casillas and Carbonero, they’ve two youngsters collectively.
Casillas’ lengthy and adorned profession included one World Cup, two Euro championships, 5 La Liga titles and three Champions League titles.
He made greater than 500 appearances with Actual Madrid between 1999 and 2015 earlier than transferring to the Portuguese membership Porto, taking part in an extra 116 video games there. He additionally performed 167 instances for the Spanish nationwide group.
He introduced his retirement from skilled soccer in August of 2020.
