Schools Out UK Registered Charity No. Former Aston Villa star Thomas Hitzlsperger has become the first Barclays Premier League player to announce that he is gay. Five years after coming out, Hitzlsperger heartened by football's discussions on LGBT inclusion; underlying message of 'Mario' movie, now on Sky Cinema, and experience of out MLS player Collin Martin also offer encouragement. I could go over in a second or third division and work my way in." First published on Wed 8 Jan 2014 17.09 EST. "It's hugely important for the movie to reach football fans in general," says Gisler. As for the English pro men's game, where do we go from here? "Today, we see that more guys are talking about stuff that affects their personal life, and that can creep into their professional life.". fristgerecht eingereicht. Who is the current partner of Thomas Hitzlsperger? #ComingOut . (Süddeutsche Zeitung) offener Brief. Thomas Hitzlsperger says now is 'a good time' to reveal true sexuality 31-year-old ended playing career in September due to persistent injuries German midfielder played … He closely studied the fall-out of their coming outs, too, he says, and felt empowered. I've had nothing but total support from them.". The movie's central characters, Mario and Leon, are team-mates in the U21 team at Young Boys Berne and unexpectedly fall in love, a relationship they attempt to keep secret due to the attitudes of others in and around the club. He became renowned for his powerful shot, leading to Villa supporters nicknaming him Der Hammer, and there were often cries of ‘shoot’ from the Holte End whenever he was on the ball with the opposition goal in sight. Posted on 9th January 2014. Thomas Hitzlsperger has extended his contract with Everton until the end of the season. I'm sure that some athletes will make a stand". The writing in the internal power struggle at VfB Stuttgart was extremely sharp. Amid such little visibility, it has tended to fall on TV and film drama to address the under-representation of out gay footballers. Hitzlsperger’s goal against Birmingham was one of several he scored from long range for the club. He had thought about coming out while still playing for Wolfsburg in 2011-12 but then listened to people who warned him of the negative consequences. They all talked about the former Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton midfielder's "courage" in breaking one of sport's last great taboos: Hitzlsperger, capped 52 times by his country, is the first German footballer to reveal he is gay. One gay player who recently put aside any such fears was Minnesota United midfielder Collin Martin, who came out publicly on his social media accounts last June. "That's nice to hear, but it's part of the problem, of course. The 24-year-old remains the only currently active out player at an elite level in the men's professional game worldwide, and the second in Major League Soccer history after former Los Angeles Galaxy defender Robbie Rogers. "I think the fans are definitely not the problem," says Hitzlsperger, who spent the majority of his professional career in England, making over 100 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton. "I totally believe that your personal life affects your professional life," says Martin. Thomas Hitzlsperger: Recap of reaction as first former Premier League footballer comes out as gay The former Germany international has decided he … "It really helped me to see that other professional sports people were acknowledging their sexuality. This does make you wonder who Tomasz’s partner might be, and what might his net worth/salary be right? "I don't think anyone has ever come away from watching a game with me thinking there's something wrong or 'too soft' with my game," he told The Guardian after coming out. "He told me that sometimes, in order to try and prove he is 'a real man', a gay player may tend to play more aggressively. Profile page for football player Thomas Hitzlsperger (Midfielder). Hitzlsperger is bearing witness to the change. Aston Villa favourite Thomas Hitzlsperger has been appointed as sporting director of German club Stuttgart. I began to think that I could help other footballers who might be in the same shoes, so that they could see that here's someone who was even an international. There was no precedent, so everybody could only speculate on what would happen.". With that being said, let’s start the article with his bio. Thank you all for the support! I think you can't separate those two things.". That's something that should change. "Kevin Love talking about his mental health and talking about certain depressive tendencies that he's had... him speaking out about that has greatly helped his performance on the court but also helped him as a person to grow. One of the most asked questions about Tomasz is his height, so that we will be getting into that too. There will always be insults in everyday life, but players who contemplate coming out don't have so much to worry about from fans. As players have to be strong characters anyway in order to succeed in the sport, the former Germany midfielder - who won 52 international caps - says positive thinking would be more helpful to a player who is considering whether or not to come out. Earlier this year, Thomas Hitzlsperger described his experience of coming out as gay and the positive impact doing so had on his life in an exclusive interview with the Official Everton Podcast.. the former Germany international asks with playful indignation. All sorts of well-intended but ultimately unhelpful interventions from heterosexual players – who either opined that gay players would benefit from coming out or cautioned against it – did not exactly fill him with confidence that this was indeed the right step. When the chancellor comes out in your favour, you know that it's safe being homosexual in this country, that you won't be discriminated. He is a diversity ambassador for the German Football Association (DFB) and has encouraged players to engage on social issues in general. London/England - Thomas Hitzlsperger boasts a wealth of experience few in football are able to match. Hitzlsperger Praises Daley, Amaechi, Thomas and Rodgers: ‘It’s about Visibility’ – Gay ex-footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger confirmed the need for visible LGBT role models in his ‘coming out’ interview with the Guardian newspaper. Rogers walked away after a difficult spell with Leeds United, where injuries, as well as his own struggle with his sexuality, were a factor in his failure to make an impact. In the power struggle of VfB Stuttgart, the chairman of the board Thomas Hitzlsperger apologized for his choice of words in his sharp criticism of President Claus Vogt. Thomas Hitzlsperger has described his experience of coming out as gay and the positive impact doing so had on his life in an exclusive interview for the Official Everton Podcast.. 1156352. It is a similar situation as that which occurred when Thomas Hitzlsperger came out in January. 14 minutes ago, gccrowdpleaser said: There was every interesting narrative from Mel at the time about investment in a retractable roof and pitch covering that was being developed to allow 100 events a year to be staged at PP which would increase turn … On the day of his interview with the Guardian, the Paris St-Germain defender Alex, a former Chelsea player, insisted that "god created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Yves". "Corny Littmann was the former president of St Pauli, and openly gay," says Gisler. Sky Sports is a member of TeamPride and supports Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign. Thomas Hitzlsperger: 'I finally figured out that I preferred living with a man', Peter Tatchell: Thomas Hitzlsperger may have turned tide of homophobia, Thanks to Thomas Hitzlsperger, young gay athletes know they're not alone, Thomas Hitzlsperger announces he is gay: 'The time is right' – video, Thomas Hitzlsperger: World leaders and top sportsmen all show support, Thomas Hitzlsperger announces he is gay in newspaper interview, Thomas Hitzlsperger: 'Der Hammer' who was never afraid of a challenge. Former Premier League star Thomas Hitzlsperger says footballers who are gay should "listen to their own voice" if they are being discouraged from coming out by other people's opinions. Thomas Hitzlsperger asks gay footballers keen to come out to 'listen to their own voice', Thomas Hitzlsperger played professionally in England from 2001 to 2013, and came out publicly as gay in 2014, Hitzlsperger took on the role of Ambassador for Diversity at the DFB in May 2017, Marcel Gisler (centre), the director of 'Mario', with the movie's two leads Aaron Altaras and Max Hubacher, The short film 'Making Mario' takes you behind the scenes of the movie 'Mario', which is now available to watch on Sky Cinema, Collin Martin posted coming out messages on his Twitter and Instagram accounts during Pride month in the USA in 2018, Robbie Rogers (second from right) returned to the game with Los Angeles Galaxy in 2013 after leaving England, and was an MLS Cup winner the following year, Hitzlsperger's fierce left-foot shot earned him the nickname of 'The Hammer' and the admiration of fans, In Hitzlsperger's original coming out interview in, Minnesota United midfielder Collin Martin, who came out publicly, He cites the example set by five-time NBA All-Star Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers, We would like your feedback, please fill in our survey. Unknown : Facts & Trivia. Currently Dating With: Under Review: Previously Dated with: Not Known: Is Thomas Hitzlsperger married or Single? He is also the first former Premier League footballer to do so. But it's so difficult to reach them. MX23RW : Saturday, November 28 09:35:39 S Sie ist die Ex-Freundin des Profi-Kickers. They weren't footballers but the fact that they went public gave me the feeling that I was not alone. Hitzlsperger spoke of his sexuality publicly for the first time in a magazine interview in January 2014, a few months after his retirement as a player. Hitzlsperger is under no illusion that football's attitudes will change overnight. He soon bounced back, however, by winning the MLS Cup with Los Angeles Galaxy, where he always felt fully accepted by his friends in the dressing room. Carlton Cole believes that Thomas Hitzlsperger will be a vital asset in West Ham's bid for survival. Former Aston Villa player and out footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger has spoken about the “intense” first few days after he came out as gay in the spotlight. The decision to address this issue publicly was a … “I think it first started when I first signed, John Gregory knew I had a powerful left foot and in one of his first in… In any case, he says, an ultimately fruitless battle to regain full fitness after a series of operations was more important to him than telling his colleagues about his sexual orientation. Director Marcel Gisler, who was given permission to shoot scenes at both Young Boys and also St Pauli in Hamburg, hopes the drama will find an audience that isn't necessarily LGBT through exposure on the small screen, attracting viewers who did not catch it in cinemas. You have to listen to your own voice.". I don't think anyone has ever come away from watching a game with me thinking there's something wrong or 'too soft' with my game," he adds, with a chuckle. "That's the audience I always thought the film was made for. Even a young player, I think.". "Don't always play on people's fears and tell them the bad things that could happen - that's exactly the wrong signal to send out. "You hear the word courage a lot," he says, when the talk returns to the reactions he has experienced so far. The film is newly released on Sky Cinema Premiere on Wednesday. 'Mario' is available to watch now on Sky Cinema Premiere. "I was surprised and happy that they were all totally OK with it. In a feature interview between the two men for this month's edition of Gay Times magazine, Martin describes to Rogers why he followed in his footsteps by being open about his sexuality - despite many claiming such an announcement is unnecessary in modern times. News about Thomas Hitzlsperger on Sports Mole with the latest player news, biographical information, pictures and more. Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger has warned his team mates the success of their season hangs in the balance. When I speak to him I tell him that support has been flooding in from fans, fellow footballers, well-wishers – and yes, even Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband. The fear is all in the mind.". "Most of them thought it would not work out. Contact us at Sky Sports if you'd like to share a story to help raise awareness around LGBT inclusion. Known as "the Hammer" among supporters because of his fierce shot with his left foot, Hitzlsperger always enjoyed a robust challenge. Hitzlsperger is unwilling to make wide-scale recommendations – "everyone has to decide for themselves" – and is unwilling to predict when the first active footballer in a European top league will follow his lead. The former international, who played in the 2006 World Cup and the 2008 European Championship, maintains that he did not have to lie about his sexuality and that team-mates eventually stopped asking about his lack of a girlfriend. Das Coming-Out von Fußball-Nationalspieler Thomas Hitzlsperger bewegt ganz Deutschland - und eine Person wohl besonders: Inga Totzauer. The 31-year-old, who retired from the game last year because of injuries, first told his friends and family. For those like him in the professional game who are gay or bi and who want to come out, Hitzlsperger's advice is to not be readily dissuaded by others. Thomas Hitzlsperger had managed to stay away from his computer for a long time. Luke Nicoli 12th August 2010, 2:05 pm. ", There was the odd incidence of crass homophobia, as well, "but that was just your general, non-specific football talk," says Hitzlsperger. It was a moment he always knew would come, and one he dreaded. Hitzlsperger says: "You'll always have those guys, but it's sad that they don't think a little deeper about what they're saying. He cites the example set by five-time NBA All-Star Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who wrote for The Players' Tribune in March 2018 about how he had suffered a panic attack during a match the previous December, and that there was a history of depression in his family. "Then, they'd hope that nobody would have the idea that they could be gay. © 2021 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. I feel sorry for them, really". In Hitzlsperger's original coming out interview in Zeit in January 2014, he discussed his intention to widen the inclusion conversation in men's football through his own visibility and voice. "Thomas Hitzlsperger hat einen klaren Werte- und Erfahrungskanon." He has always considered himself a good example of a shattered stereotype. Gay rights activist has special praise for the Sun newspaper's anti-homophobic leader column about the retired Aston Villa player who outed himself, Robbie Rogers: It will have taken courage to come out, but Hitzlsperger has helped the next generation of sportsmen take that difficult step, Former German international Thomas Hitzlsperger says the time is right for him to come out as gay, World leaders including Angela Merkel and David Cameron were quick to offer their support to Thomas Hitzlsperger after his announcement, Available for everyone, funded by readers.

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