Jakub Jankto, out gay soccer player, announces he's retiring

A queer soccer star from the Czech Republic named Jakub Jankto shared that he won't return to the field after suffering a "very serious injury." The out gay athlete shared the update to his Instagram stories, explaining that he could no longer "continue in [his] football [in the U.S., soccer] career."

The Cagliari Calcio player shared this update via Instagram stories on Thursday after receiving several messages from fans asking him if he was going to play again. "I suffered a very serious injury; I completely damaged the ligaments in my ankle," he wrote. "I was trying to overcome it, to get through the whole year."

But, he shared that this is the end of his football career, and he made the decision to move back to Prague to be closer to his son David, who lives there with his ex-wife, Markéta Ottomanská. "I wanted to change this situation because we have just one family and I wanted to be close to my son in Prague, that's why I decided to move," he wrote.

Jankto came out as gay in February 2023, making him the first-ever active, male, international footballer to come out. At the time, he talked openly about his sexuality in an emotional video that was shared on social media. "I no longer want to hide," he said in the video. "I have a job, which I have been doing as best as I can, for years, with seriousness, professionalism, and passion. Like everybody else, I also want to live my life in freedom without fears, without prejudice, without violence, but with love."

A rep for the team that Jankto was playing for at that time shared a statement with Attitude that read, "Jakub spoke openly about his sexual orientation with the club some time ago. Everything else concerns his personal life. No further comments. No more questions. You have our support. Live your life, Jakub. Nothing else matters.”

This article originally appeared on Out: Jakub Jankto, out gay soccer player, announces he's retiring