Jakub Jankto: “More gays in soccer, I hope my gesture will help them.”

Jakub Jankto and his coming out.

Jakub Jankto, interviewed exclusively for Sky TG24 Live In Napoli, returned to talk about his coming out. “I did it first for myself and then to help others,” said the former Udinese and Sampdoria player. “How much did I think about it before I did it? I knew since I was a child, however, you tend to say ‘I can continue in some way,’ let’s say the football world is a bit homophobic, I have said it many times and we all know it, however, it came to me suddenly, it was not something planned. It came to me like that and I’m not sorry I did it. I can finally do what I want to do and I am overjoyed.”

“It helped me a lot to be at home to come out,” he added, “If I had been in Spain or Italy I would never have said it. When you’re at home… In Italy they say ‘casa dolce casa,’ that’s it, that’s the truth, the people here in Prague helped me a lot, Tomas Rosicky, Frantisek Cupr, coach Brian Priske, a huge chapeau in front of them. They have been extraordinary.”

“I will definitely not name names however there are other gay footballers. There were, there are and there will be. That’s how it is. Messages have come to me. I don’t expect them to come out now too, however, maybe my example can help them, maybe in the future they will think ‘I can do it too.'”