Earlyface

Hitzlsperger, 31, revealed his sexuality in an interview
with German newspaper Die Zeit on Wednesday,
becoming only the fourth professional footballer to do
so after former Norwich forward Justin Fashanu,
Swedish lower league player Anton Hysen and Los
Angeles Galaxy midfielder Robbie Rogers.
Amaechi made headlines the world over when he
became the first openly gay NBA player in 2007 and he
feels that football, like many sports, has a poisonous
attitude toward homosexuality.
“It isn't a big deal for an awful lot of people, but within
sport there is still a problem,” Amaechi said to BBC
Sport. "The real problem, especially with football, is
that it has never evaluated itself properly. The sport
has never understood just how toxic it is.
“Football is toxic and not just for gay people -- it's toxic
for Asians who want to play the game, it's toxic for
women who want to be executives, it's toxic for black
people who want to do anything but play. It's toxic in
many different ways, but football doesn't see itself like
that.
“It sees itself as this amazing, wonderful, bold and
progressive organisation. As an analogy, it is the fat
bloke who looks at himself in the mirror and beaming
back at him is an Adonis. It's a self-image that bears no
resemblance on reality.
“Footballers coming out at the highest level will
happen only as the product of a cultural change within
the game. It will not be the precursor to cultural change
in football. If you want to see people being who they
are, coming out and playing at their very best because
they're able to be who they are, then the culture of
football must change first.”
Amaechi pointed the finger directly at FIFA, accusing
world football’s governing body of being run by
“neanderthals” and criticising the organisation for
failing to combat homophobia or provide adequate
support for gay players.
"I think it is a good thing Hitzlsperger has done, he is
held in positive regard as a role model,” Amaechi told
the Mirror. "The truth is the people who run football are
the ones creating this environment. The fans follow the
implicit lack of breadth when it comes to issues of
difference from the top.
"[FIFA president Sepp] Blatter couldn't have a job
anywhere else. In an equivalent corporate environment
he would be out in a day. Neanderthals seem to be only
able to hang on to power in sport. They could sort it out
in two years, but it is way behind.
"It takes actions, not just pretty posters. Until they stab
in the heart the ignorance, mythology and nonsense
which is around bigotry then nothing will change. They
are loath to do that, because it will involve some self-
examination [which] they are not comfortable with.
They refuse to hire people who will educate and
challenge them."
Hitzlsperger decision to publicly reveal his sexuality
has been hailed by figures in the football world and
beyond, with his former Stuttgart teammate Timo
Hildebrand, now of Schalke, saying on Facebook: “My
deepest respect, Hitze. Very courageous!”
Elsewhere, the spokesman for German Chancellor
Angela Merkel said: “We live in a country where nobody
should be afraid of acknowledging their sexuality for
fear of intolerance. And I think that as a country, as a
society, we've made enormous progress in this area.
We judge footballers by whether they conduct
themselves well and with dignity on and off the pitch,
and I believe both are true for Mr. Hitzlsperger."