ITALY STRIKER ANTONIO Cassano has sparked furious reaction from a gay rights group after using a derogatory word to describe homosexuals and saying he hopes there aren’t any in the national team.
During a raucous press conference on Tuesday the jovial forward was asked a question about television personality Cecchi Paone’s claim there are two homosexuals and two metrosexuals in the Italy squad.
Cassano’s reply was in the spirit of the often macho environment of sport and sports reporting and caused great laughter among the Italian press corps.
But his use of the word “frocho” is highly controversial as it’s an insult akin to “queer” or “poof”.
“What’s a metrosexual?” he asked the questioner before adding: “If they’re queer, that’s their problem. I hope there aren’t any queers in the national team.“But if they’re queer, it’s their business. Are there any? I don’t know.”
Cassano is well known for his controversial behaviour and comments and there is even a slang phrase based on his name that is in common usage in Italy which means to do something stupid: a cassanata.
Although assembled journalists found his comments highly amusing, the Gay Centre in Italy has reacted with outrage.
“Cassano says “cassanate” (stupid things) about gays showing his arrogance and irresponsibility,” said spokesman Fabrizio Marrazzo in a statement.
“Unifying sport and homophobia gives a dangerous message, especially to the young.
“Cassano has shown that he has no respect, not only from a sporting perspective but from a human one, towards the many who follow him and consider him a great player.
“He would deserve at least a yellow card if not an expulsion from the European Championships.
“It is a relief at least that the coach Cesare Prandelli thinks differently.“In any case it is in fact football which will be the theme of our next Gay Help Line, the phone line which gives help against homophobia.”
In fairness to Cassano he is a known joker and both took the question in good humour and answered it equally flippantly.
He even turned to the translator and said: “You’re not going to translate that to the Polish press, are you?”
But homosexuality in sport in general and in particular in football is a sensitive topic.
There are no high profile openly gay footballers in the major European leagues and many gay groups have called for someone to take a stand and become the first.
(There has been speculation regarding the sexuality of certain members of the Italy team – Gregorio Borgia/AP/Press Association Images)
Former Nottingham Forest forward Justin Fashanu is the only English footballer to have come out later in his career, although it was widely known even when he was a young player.
However, he committed suicide in 1998 at the age of 37 after he was questioned by police in the United States after a 17-year-old boy accused him of sexual assault.
Another British athlete, former NBA star John Amaechi came out but only after he had ended his basketball career.
Former Wales rugby union internatonal Gareth Thomas came out right at the end of his career but said he hadn’t done it earlier because he didn’t want to be known for his sexuality rather than his sporting prowess.
“I don’t want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player, first and foremost I am a man,” he told the Daily Mail when coming out in December 2009.By that point his eight-year Wales career had already ended and he only played on for a couple more seasons, including a switch to rugby league.
Homosexuality in football is an issue that comes up often in Italy.
Earlier this year Italy striker Antonio Di Natale said he thought it would be very difficult for a player to be openly gay while former Italy midfielder Gennaro Gattuso insisted a couple of years ago he’d never come across a homosexual in football.
“Gattuso insisted a couple of years ago he’d never come across a homosexual in football”
I should hope not: It’s very bad etiquette…
Call it freedom of speech.
As long as his remarks are not of an insulting nature.
but.. they were of an insulting nature. am i missing something?
Gay comments?? Did he tell someone their boots were just faabulouss?
“Frocho” eh? I like it! Always nice to have a new word to hurl at the TV when Cassano throws himself on the ground, wailing and crying after being breathed upon by an opponent.
Why would you use a derogatory term for gay people as a term of abuse?
Judging by his homophobic response to the the question, it’s clear he would be insulted by it.
Why does someone’s sexuality have to be such a big deal? As long as they are hurting no one and staying professional in their jobs/careers then what does it matter?
Saying queer isn’t very nice though. Stick to gay/lesbian/homosexual or straight/heterosexual and you won’t offend people so easily. My step brother calls us straight people “breeders” which makes me laugh
to be honest when in the right context people can say anything to each other, especially if they know each other very well, but this guys comment was out of place … on the other hand everybody has messed up an answer or said something to hurt others at some point … the biggest problem in this story is that he doesn’t appear to have made an apology….
Completely agree,when having conversations with friends/family then anything goes. But he used it in an interview that would be broadcast. I say and have said all sorts of things to my gay friends and family members but I wouldn’t say the same to someone I didn’t know too well
The abuse gay players would be subject to from the terraces would be horrific. My own club Shelbourne FC have turned a blind eye to the homophobic nature of some terrace chants in the past and Ireland is slightly more liberal about these things than somewhere like Italy. It’s very sad that any human can’t be who they are in the public eye without being abused. Cassano’s comments are bigoted and insensitive and he should apologise.
I don’t think he needs to make an apology, he said that it was their own business so I don’t think he meant any harm. If he was forced to apologise I think Jimmy Carr should we given a weekly slot to say sorry for the things he says week in, week out.
He said: “I hope there aren’t any queers on the team”. Imagine he said, “I hope there aren’t any blacks on the team”. He’d be in serious trouble. His comments weren’t harmless banter like you’re making out.
Jimmy Carr is a comedian
According to my friends Italian boyfriend gays often call each other it, I’ve never heard Irish gays call each other fags so ill take it that it’s meaning is lost in translation.
I actually don’t think it makes a difference if he’s a comedian or not because he says some really mad stuff that I’m sure many people are offended by.
You’d make a great politician I love lamp, you haven’t even commented on the criticism I made and headed off on tangents brilliantly. Is it acceptable to say that you hope there are no gay people in your workplace? That is clearly bigoted.
I’m sorry but you must have the memory of a goldfish (many of your comments I’ve noticed just completely ignore what the previous person has said and just bang out some old clap) but I think I did address your comment and the proceeding one (by another party) and thanks for thinking I should be a politician because I could do with the nice wage.
And i am sure that would be the same opinion as the gay person towards you.
the post i responded to is gone rendering my post worthless
Stupid is what stupid does.
From what I’ve read he was thick and not intentionally offensive.
The PC crowd need to cop on.
The “PC crowd”- whom would that be? PC world? I heard they have great deals on notebooks!
Cassano, How come u didn’t like gay u wear a big ring suitable for women as seen in above photo?
Are you saying all gays like big rings?
I’d say most like them small.