Arsene Wenger: A gay Premier League footballer may never come out

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

According to Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger, a gay footballer may never come out whilst playing in the Premier League due to “media interest.”

Speaking to Arsenal Magazine, Wenger suggested there was still some distance to go before a gay player would be accepted in the football industry.

“Because of media interest, maybe no-one will come out,” he said.

“He could not come out during his career which means we still have some progress to make in our game.”

When asked about former German international Thomas Hitzlsperger, who came out earlier this year, he said: “Hitzlsperger should not have had to wait until the end,

“But overall he should not have to come out at all because it should just be considered like anything else.

“It would be good if four, five, six people come out and after that nobody speaks about it anymore because they just think it is people who live their life like they want to live it.

“I think football is there to provoke moments of happiness, excitement and positive experiences in people, no matter where they come from, what colour skin they have, what religion they are or what their preferred sexuality is.

“It’s very sad that some people think that this sport should only be reserved for those who have certain characteristics. It’s open to everybody who loves football and when that doesn’t happen, it’s not acceptable.”

Wenger last month questioned the absence of openly gay footballers in the Premier League.

Comments (0)

MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.

Loading Comments