When professional soccer player Jakub Jankto walked onto the field for his first game since coming out last week, fans cheered.
Jankto played for Sparta Prague against the Czech team Jablonec. Before the game, he had been hurt and had spent a few weeks getting better, according to The Mirror.
He walked onto the field with 20 minutes left in the game and Jankto’s team up 2-0 over Jablonec. The Mirror said that “most of the crowd cheered” for him. Outsports said that his team won 3-0 because he helped them score a goal less than a minute later.
Outsports said that after Jankto scored the goal, Luká Harasln jumped into the arms of Jankto to share their joy as teammates.
“That was the best moment of my career, in my opinion. “It was a minute I’ll never forget,” the 27-year-old midfielder wrote on Twitter later. “3 points, awesome vibe. Everyone at the stadium, thank you! We keep pushing.”
The manager of the Sparta team, Brian Priske, said he was sure that the fans would welcome Jankto well.
Priske told the magazine Blesk, “We have a lot of great fans, and I’d rather focus on them than on anything bad that might happen.” “There are enough good people on the team that they will know what to do if something bad happens.”
Last week, Jankto came out in an emotional video in which he proudly said, “I’m gay and I don’t want to hide it anymore. I want to live my life freely, without fear, violence, or bias, but with love, just like everyone else.
“Like everyone else, I have my own strengths and weaknesses, as well as my own family and friends,” he said. “I have a job that I’ve been doing for years as well as I can, with seriousness, professionalism, and enthusiasm.”
His team gave him their full support for the video he made. Sparta Prague shared his video on its official Twitter account and said that Jankto had already told the team, coach, and management about his sexuality in the past.
“Everything else is about him as a person. Nothing else to say. No more questions. “We’re behind you,” the team wrote. “Get on with it, Jakub.”
“As a person,” Priske said, “I was happy and proud that Jakub thought I was someone he could trust.” That he’s sure he’s in a safe place.”
FIFA, the organisation that runs professional soccer around the world, also talked about Jankto coming out. They wrote on Twitter, “We’re all with you, Jakub. Everyone can play football,” and then added a heart and a rainbow flag emoji.
Neymar da Silva Santos Jnior, a professional soccer player from Brazil, also talked about how important it was that Jankto came out. Get Football News says that he said, “Today is a big day.” “Everyone is free, so there shouldn’t be as much homophobia, racism, or any other kind of prejudice. Every person should be able to do whatever they want.”
Jankto is now one of four professional soccer players from outside the United States who play on the world stage.
