A-League’s Adelaide United has denied claims of internal homophobia after former player Josh Cavallo shared an Instagram post detailing the alleged discriminatory behaviour he faced at the club.
Adelaide United is currently embroiled in controversy following Cavallo’s Instagram post, in which he claimed the club was “homophobic”.
“Leaving the club had nothing to do with football. Decisions were made by people in power that blocked my opportunities, not because of my talent, but because of who I choose to love,” Cavallo claimed.
“Under the new management, it became clear that I wasn’t allowed on the pitch because of politics.”
“It’s hard to swallow when I realised my own club was homophobic.”
Cavallo made history back in October 2021 by becoming the first professional male footballer to come out as gay in Australia. The defender made the announcement via an emotional video shared by Adelaide United.
However, in his recent IG post, Cavallo admitted that he questioned keeping his sexuality a secret, fearing it would impact his career.
“This was exactly the fear I had about coming out, seeing prejudice affect my career in modern day,” Cavallo wrote.
“For the first time, I actually questioned if I should have kept my sexuality a secret.
“This brought up fears I had about coming out publicly, that being myself would affect my career.
Furthermore, Cavallo claimed he saw a group chat of his fellow Adelaide United teammates in which they were “mocking a picture of [him] and [his] partner” which “only added to this heartache”.
Cavallo finished the post describing his journey in the UK as a “fresh start” and that Adelaide United punters “deserve honesty and success”.
“Despite the way it ended behind the scenes, I refuse to let it ruin my connection to this city,” he wrote.
Adelaide United ‘rejects’ Josh Cavallo’s claims of homophobia
The A-League club has since released a statement, saying it is “extremely disappointed by the claims” by its former player.
“The Club is extremely disappointed by the claims made and categorically rejects the allegations, including any suggestion that Adelaide United is homophobic. All on-field decisions relating to team selection are made solely on footballing grounds,” it said.
“Adelaide United has always been committed to fostering an inclusive environment for players, staff and supporters and we remain proud of our ongoing work to promote inclusion across football.
“Strengthening inclusivity must remain an ongoing focus for the game, and the Club looks forward to hosting the fourth annual Pride Cup this weekend against Melbourne Victory.”
PFA Chief Executive Beau Busch praised Cavallo for coming forward with his experiences, and said the representative body will “continue to ensure Josh and all our members are fully supported to be their authentic selves”.
“Josh’s courage has been vital in creating a more inclusive environment in Australian football,” Busch said in a statement to PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“Significant progress has been made thanks to the bravery of players like Josh, along with initiatives like this weekend’s Pride Cup, and crucial advocacy and education provided by groups like Pride Cup.
“However, it is equally important to acknowledge that there is still plenty of work to do to tackle homophobia in sport and across the broader community.”
Cavallo has yet to respond to Adelaide United’s statement. However, his post has since been flooded with support from fans and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
The player, who is now based in the UK and has been signed with Stamford after his contract with Adelaide United ended in May 2025, has previously called out the homophobic abuse he cops from fans in the A-League. Cavallo also obliterated a transphobic queer group after it reposted an article reporting on his coming out.
The A-League has said the APL will not be commenting on specific club matters and allegations.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has reached out to Football Australia for comment.
Image source: Instagram (@josh.cavallo) / Getty Images
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