Thomas Hitzlsperger has spoken for the first time in an interview with “Time” about his homosexuality. He wanted to go to the end of his career to advance a discussion, he said. The former international was recently the English Everton under contract.

He is the first prominent footballer who breaks his silence: The former national player Thomas Hitzlsperger has in the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit” his homosexuality known. He wanted to advance the discussion of homosexuality among professional athletes, he said. Four months ago, the 31-year-old had retired from professional football.

Last Hitzlsperger had been active for Everton in the English Premier League. In his youth he had played for Bayern , in 2000 , he moved first to the Premier League club Aston Villa . From 2005 to 2010 he was at VfB Stuttgart under contract , over Lazio , West Ham United and VfL Wolfsburg in 2012 he came back to the British Isles . For the German national team , he completed between 2004 and 2010 52 games.

The awareness of being gay, was “a long and difficult process ” for him . Only in the past few years , he noticed that ” I would rather live with a man ,” says Hitzlsperger . But he had been ashamed not for that. During his playing days homosexuality had never been an open issue – even though he had often annoyed by the way the football world with the topic.

Professional sport is a competitive sport absolutely hard ” struggle , passion and will to win are inextricably linked .” The do not fit the stereotype that many people made up by a homosexual , saying: “Gays are wimps ,” says Hitzlsperger .

The sayings of our colleagues were therefore not always easy to bear , he had said yet nothing : ” There sit twenty young men at the tables and drink , because it lets you grant the majority , as long as the jokes are reasonably funny and not the chatter about homosexuals . is massively insulting. ”

Before Hitzlsperger made ​​the issue public , he informed apparently Germany coach Joachim Loew and team manager Oliver Bierhoff .

The Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany ( LSVD ) started Hitzlspergers statements positive. “This is a very encouraging sign , especially for young gay football players that they can commit to their identity and must not lead a game of hide ,” said Joerg Steinert , CEO of LSVD Berlin -Brandenburg.

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