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BBC<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Real Madrid and Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has deleted a tweet that said he was gay – saying his account was hacked. Casillas tweeted in Spanish: “I hope you respect me: I’m gay,” before his former Spain team-mate Carles Puyol replied: “It’s time to tell our story.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tweet was live for more than an hour before being deleted. Casillas later tweeted: “Hacked account. Luckily everything in order. Apologies to all my followers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tweet added: “Of course, more apologies to the LGBT community.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Puyol also tweeted an apology, saying: “I have made a mistake. Sorry for a clumsy joke with no bad intentions and totally out of place. All my respect and support for the LGTBIQA+ community.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Casillas split from his wife Sara Carbonero last March. They have two children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before Casillas’ initial tweet was deleted, Adelaide United player Josh Cavallo, who came out last October, criticised Casillas and Puyol for apparently joking about coming out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Joking and making fun out of coming out in football is disappointing,” Cavallo tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s a difficult journey that any LGBTQ+ people have to go through. To see my role models and legends of the game make fun out of coming out and my community is beyond disrespectful.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Few high-profile current or former male players have ever come out as openly gay in the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier this year, teenager Jake Daniels became the first professional in the UK men’s game for more than 30 years to come out while still playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 17-year-old Blackpool player said the decision would allow him to be “free and confident”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Casillas, who retired in 2020, joined Real Madrid aged nine and made 725 appearances for the club during a 16-year career at the Bernabeu, winning three Champions League titles and five La Liga crowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He moved to Porto in 2015, winning two Primeira Liga titles and one Portuguese Cup, but his playing career ended after he suffered a heart attack during training in April 2019. He later joined the club’s coaching staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As well as winning the 2010 World Cup, he helped Spain to two successive European Championships in 2008 and 2012, and won 167 caps between 2000 and 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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