Adelaide United has denied claims of homophobia made by the club’s former player Josh Cavallo.
Cavallo came out in 2021, making him the only openly gay active top-flight male professional soccer player.
At the time, Cavallo was a regular starter for Adelaide United, but his opportunities with the Australian A-League side diminished after he suffered a torn Achilles in 2023.
Cavallo returned in 2024 to make four league appearances, but saw his season end early after a hamstring injury. The left back didn’t appear in a single league match for Adelaide last season, leaving the club at the end of the campaign.
The 26-year-old now plays in England for non-league side Stamford AFC. In an explosive post on Instagram Monday, Jan. 12, Cavallo said that his opportunities in Australia were limited because of who he is – not his ability.
“Leaving the club had nothing to do with football,” he said. “Decisions were made by people in power that blocked my opportunities, not because of my talent, but because of who I choose to love.
“Under the new management, it became clear that I wasn’t allowed on the pitch because of politics. It’s hard to swallow when I realized my own club was homophobic.”
Cavallo added that he saw a group chat of teammates mocking a picture of him and his partner.
