Watch: Jakub Jankto's coming out video

• by Mike Woitalla  @MikeWoitalla, Feb 13, 2023

The 27-year-old Czech Republic midfielder Jakub Jankto is the highest-profile current male soccer player to publicly come out as gay since Australian Josh Cavallo of Adelaide United came out in 2021 and Englishman Jake Daniels of Blackpool in 2022.

Jankto, who has earned 45 caps for the Czech Republic, currently plays for Sparta Prague on loan from LaLiga club Getafe. He is the first active national team player to announce he is gay. 

"Like everybody else," says Jankto, "I also want to live my life in freedom without fears, without prejudice, without violence, but with love. I am homosexual, and I no longer want to hide myself"

• Czech Republic’s Jakub Jankto coming out ‘will inspire people in the game’ By Paul MacInnes (The Guardian)