“All my life I’ve been asked if I’m gay”

Former midfielder and sports commentator Richarlyson Barbosa, who came to play with the Brazilian national team, publicly declared himself bisexual and asked that the cases of homophobia in football and across the country. “All my life I’ve been asked if I’m gay. I’ve already had relationships with men and women. But today, and that will be the news that will be published, I say: ‘Richarlyson is bisexual,'” the former Sao Paulo soccer player said in a podcast about Homophobia and machismo in Brazilian soccer.

Richarlyson hopes that his position will serve to, in some way, seriously address the homophobia in football, although he believes that “the world is not prepared to have that discussion and deal naturally” with this scourge. “There is a more important issue, there are people dying. Brazil is the country that kills homosexuals the most. And we are here talking about soccer, ok, but soccer is something small. ‘Ah, but your speech can help.’ No, it won’t help Who is Richarlyson, for the love of God?! I am a mere ordinary citizen, “he said.

The former midfielder, the first footballer to play in the First Division of Brazilian Championship and in the selection to speak openly about his sexual condition, he regretted that his words “will not move mountains to end homophobia in football”, although he stressed its importance to raise awareness.

Likewise, he asked for greater punishments for cases of homophobia in the stadiums and opted to sanction even the clubs. “You have to punish the club, there has to be a camera just for that in the stadium, to find out who he is and punish him. If the penalty is three years in prison, you have to punish the guy, take a year out of the stadium and make the club pay for that situation. That’s the only way it will improve,” he said.

Richarlyson, 39, suffered during his sports career from the indifference and attacks of fans for his today declared bisexuality. “Every day I had to show something different. One mistake of mine counted as five. They attacked me, they looked like a pack of wolves. I knew that I was never a crack, I was never technically incredible, but I was smart to know what I had to do to be ahead of the rest,” he explained.

Richarlyson lived his best years in Sao Paulo, p.ero played for a good number of Brazilian teams, including Fortaleza and Atletico Mineiro, and was called up in 2008 with the senior team, with which he played two games as a left back. In his record there are three Brazilian Championships, two Libertadores Cups and a Club World Cup.

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