MADRID, 13 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Czech international Jakub Jankto, a Getafe player on loan at Sparta Prague, has publicly revealed this Monday that he is homosexual, becoming the first LaLiga footballer to announce it, and has assured that he only wants to live his life “in freedom, without fear , without prejudice, without violence and with love”.
“Like everyone else, I have my strengths, I have my weaknesses, I have a family, I have my friends, I have a job that I have been doing to the best of my ability for years, with seriousness, professionalism and passion. Like everyone else, I also want to live my life in freedom, without fear, without prejudice, without violence, but with love. I am homosexual and I no longer want to hide,” said the midfielder in a video posted on his social networks.
— Jakub Jankto (@jakubjanktojr) February 13, 2023
Jankto, 27, signed for Getafe in 2021 from Sampdoria. With the azulón team he played only 14 LaLiga Santander games due to injury before returning to the Czech Republic in August 2022 after being loaned to Sparta Prague. As a Czech international, he has made 45 appearances and scored four goals, also participating in Euro 2020.
From his current club they showed their support for the footballer. “Jakub Jankto spoke openly about his sexual orientation with the board of directors, the coach and his teammates at the club some time ago. Everything else is his personal life. No more comments, no more questions. You have our support. Live your life, Jacob. Nothing else matters,” said Sparta Prague on their official Twitter account.
Getafe also joined in the expressions of affection towards the Czech international. “Our utmost respect and unconditional support for our footballer Jakub Jankto,” the club said on Twitter.
In this way, Jankto becomes the first footballer to have played in LaLiga who reveals that he is gay. In October 2021, Australian footballer Josh Cavallo publicly announced his homosexuality, an initiative that he felt “happy” about and that he hoped he could serve as an example so that other footballers also take this step.