Julian Nagelsmann, Germany’s head coach ahead of the next FIFA World Cup, has said he hopes more gay and bisexual players in men’s football will “summon the courage” to come out, as the sport continues to face a lack of visible LGBTQ+ representation.
Nagelsmann made the remarks to RTL/ntv, as reported by Eurosport, on 30 March after Christian Dobrick, a member of the coaching staff at Bundesliga club St Pauli, publicly came out last week. Dobrick is believed to be the first known coach at a men’s Bundesliga club to do so.
Nagelsmann described Dobrick’s decision as “very good” and said discussions with gay friends had helped him better understand how “liberating” it can be to live openly, rather than remain closeted.
He also said it is “a shame” that the subject is still seen as noteworthy in modern football.
Despite the sport’s huge global profile, openly gay and bisexual men remain uncommon in professional football, especially among active players and coaches.
Out gay footballers
Among the small number of footballers to have come out publicly is Josh Cavallo. The Australian player came out in 2021, becoming the first active male professional footballer to do so.
The following year, then 17-year-old Jake Daniels became the first professional footballer in Britain to come out publicly since Justin Fashanu in 1990.
In December 2023, Daniels told Daily Star Sport that since coming out he had received only support from his teammates, and that the main pressure on him was simply to prove himself as a footballer, just like any other player.
