Rob Horgan
THE first ever study into homophobia in Spanish football is ongoing in Andalucia.
The University of Sevilla has teamed up with the Andalucian federation ARCO IRIS to asses the level of tolerance towards gay footballers in the region’s eight provinces.
No top-flight Spanish footballer has ever publicly come out as gay. Something ARCO IRIS thinks needs to change.
“We are urging players to come out and stop hiding their partners so they can serve as role models for young gays, in the same way heterosexual players do,” a spokesman for the federation said.
La Liga clubs Cordoba, Granada, Malaga and Sevilla have already taken part, as well as a number of lower-league sides.
The study involves players, coaches and management answering a short questionnaire.
The report’s director, Joaquin Piedra, hopes the report will break down the stigmas attached to football in the country.
“In Spain football is currently seen as an area of male dominance, with a pronounced tendency to exclude anyone who deviates from the ‘norm’,” he said.
“Because of this, homosexuals and other sexual minority groups are a taboo subject, never to be mentioned lest it should cause problems.”
The ongoing report can be accessed at www.contralasreglas.tk
