Josh Cavallo claims homophobia drove him out of Adelaide United

Josh Cavallo in action for Adelaide United. Pic: Brendon Thorne/AAP Image via AP.

Josh Cavallo has accused his former A-League club Adelaide United of homophobia and blocking him from playing after he came out as gay in 2021.

The 26-year-old left the Reds last year and moved from Australia to England where he now plays non-league football. He signed with Stamford AFC in the Southern League Premier Division Central last month.

“Leaving the club had nothing to do with football,” the former Australian under-20 international posted on Instagram on Tuesday about his departure from Adelaide.

“Decisions were made by people in power that blocked my opportunities, not because of my talent, but because of who I choose to love.” Cavallo said that during his time at the club, “it became clear that I wasn’t allowed on the pitch because of politics”.

“It’s hard to swallow when I realised my own club was homophobic,” he said.

Adelaide United said on Tuesday the club was “extremely disappointed by the claims made and categorically rejects the allegations, including any suggestion that Adelaide United is homophobic”.

“All on-field decisions relating to team selection are made solely on footballing grounds,” a club statement read.

“Adelaide United has always been committed to fostering an inclusive environment for players, staff and supporters and we remain proud of our ongoing work to promote inclusion across football.”

Cavallo was a regular starter and played more than 1,000 minutes in seasons 2020-21 and 2021-22, but his opportunities shrank in subsequent years after he ruptured his achilles tendon. His last competitive A-League minutes for Adelaide were against Sydney FC in February 2024, when he started but came off after nine minutes with another injury, this time to his quad.

He had recovered by October that year, and appeared on the Reds’ bench during the 2024-25 season but did not play a single minute in the A-League Men. His final appearance on the bench was in a 4-4 draw with Auckland last March.

“I was angry because people thought I was sidelined based on injuries, when in reality, it was internal homophobia that kept me on the bench,” Cavallo claims.

“I stayed professional, kept my head down, and worked hard every day which I’m proud of. Yet no matter how much I produced or improved, my contributions were continuously ignored. It brought a lot of negativity and affected my wellbeing as a professional footballer.”

Cavallo declined to name individuals at the club in his post, but he said he saw a group chat of teammates “mocking a picture of me and my partner”.

Long-time chief executive Nathan Kosmina publicly condemned homophobic abuse by Melbourne Victory fans in 2022, and the club has been active in supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

The club will contest its fourth “pride cup” during the Adelaide United v Melbourne Victory double-header at Coopers Stadium on Saturday.

Kosmina said on Monday the match is an important opportunity. “Adelaide United is for everyone, and the pride cup match is a meaningful chance to celebrate that and recognise the strength of football’s inclusivity,” he said.

“We want every player, member, and supporter to feel safe, respected, and welcome at Coopers Stadium – on this matchday and every matchday.”

Cavallo’s decision in 2021 made him the only active top-flight male professional footballer to come out, and he told the international players’ union Fifpro last year his only regret was not announcing his sexuality sooner.

The Australian’s international profile has expanded in the years since. He now has more than a million Instagram followers and is a Ralph Lauren ambassador.

However, he said on Tuesday his experience with Adelaide United was more difficult than it appeared from the outside.

“This was exactly the fear I had about coming out, seeing prejudice affect my career in modern day. For the first time, I actually questioned if I should have kept my sexuality a secret,” he said.

“This brought up fears I had about coming out publicly, that being myself would affect my career. I felt incredibly isolated and wondered if I’d made the mistake of sharing my story.” The midfielder-fullback said the “fresh start” in the UK “has helped me breathe again” and he hopes he can fall back in love with the sport.

He said he still has love for Adelaide, a city where he says “I found my wings”.

Guardian