Professional soccer player Josh Cavallo accused Adelaide United FC of being "homophobic" and making decisions based on "politics," adding that he also witnessed "a group chat of teammates mocking a picture of me and my partner," which he said "only added to this heartache."
The 26-year-old Australian athlete, who came out as gay in 2021, played for Adelaide United FC for most of his professional career. After being kept on the bench for the entire 2024-2025 season, the athlete collaborated on a joint statement with the team to announce his departure in May 2025. However, Cavallo shared a new statement yesterday in which he reflected on his experiences and made accusations regarding the soccer team, its "new management," and even some of his former teammates.
"It's taken me a while to digest how my time at Adelaide United ended, but I think the fans deserve honesty," Cavallo started. "Leaving the club had nothing to do with football. Decisions were made by people in power that blocked my opportunities, not because of my talent, but because of who I choose to love. Under the new management, it became clear that I wasn't allowed on the pitch because of politics."
The athlete continued, "It's hard to swallow when I realised my own club was homophobic. 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. 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."
"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," Cavallo reflected. "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."
Notably, Cavallo accused his own former teammates of engaging in homophobic behavior as well, writing: "I felt things going backwards, not just on the pitch, but in the one place I thought was a safe space and after seeing a group chat of teammates mocking a picture of me and my partner only added to this heartache."
Cavallo concluded the statement writing, "This fresh start in the UK has helped me breathe again and I hope I can fall back in love with the sport that means everything to me. Despite the way it ended behind the scenes, I refuse to let it ruin my connection to this city. Adelaide is where I found my wings. To the fans and supporters: thank you for your passion and backing. You deserve honesty and success. You were incredible to play in front of. Thank you."
Cavallo's partner, Leighton Morrell, wrote a comment under the athlete's post that reads:
"Proud of you. Even this post doesn't really do justice to how heavy that time actually was to live through. We won't forget the ones that continued to show up and show out for you. Onto the next chapter [heart emoji.]"
Leighton Morrell shares comment under his partner Josh Cavallo's post accusing Adelaide United FC of 'homophobic' behavior.Instagram (@joshua.cavallo)
Adelaide United FC — the actual soccer team being accused of this behavior — responded to Cavallo's accusations through a statement shared on its website just a few hours after the athlete's Instagram post.
"Adelaide United is aware of a statement published on social media this morning by former player Josh Cavallo," the soccer team's response read. "The Club is 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."
The statement went on, "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. Strengthening inclusivity must remain an ongoing focus for the game, and the Club looks forward to hosting the fourth annual Pride Cup this weekend against Melbourne Victory. The Club will not be making any further comment at this time."
Adelaide United FC shares a post titled 'Adelaide United Responds to Social Media Claims' to its official website on January 13, 2025.AdelaideUnited.com.au
This story is still developing…
