Press Release

The European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF) today condemned comments made by Vlatko Markovic , President of the Croatian Football Federation in an interview with Croatian national daily Vecernji List. Mr Markovic remarked that there was no place for gay players on the national side, stating "While I'm a president of the Croatian Football Federation, there will be no homosexuals playing in the national team", Mr Pepe Garcia Vazquez, Co-president of the EGLSF, an organisation representing over 17,000 lesbian gay bisexual and trans (LGBT) athletes across Europe says of the comment: “We are appalled by Mr Markovic’s statement, which [...]

The European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF) today called on UEFA to take action against José Mourinho for comments in which he referred to match officials as “maricones” (“faggots” in English). The comments were made by the Real Madrid coach prior to their Champion’s League tie against CSKA Moscow. The comments were captured on film, which was later shown on the Spanish television channel Quatro. Louise Englefield, Co-president of the EGLSF, an organisation representing over 17,000 lesbian gay bisexual and trans (LGBT) athletes across Europe, said: “Homophobia is unacceptable from anyone in football, much less from one of the [...]

The European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) is today saddened and disappointed to learn that GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) has been forced to close its Sports Media Program. The Sports Media Program, headed up by Ted Rybka, has worked with gay and transgender athletes – both amateur and professional and with sports media outlets from ESPN to Sports Illustrated to elevate the voices, stories and accomplishments of LGBT sports people since 2007. GLAAD has also worked to address the issue of homophobia in locker rooms and in the stands by encouraging media outlets to generate conversations [...]

Today the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation gave its backing to Football v Homophobia, the International Day Against Homophobia in Football. The Day is being launched in the UK, by the Justin Campaign, an antihomophobia football campaign named after the only out gay professional football player in the UK, Justin Fashanu, who tragically ended his own life in 1998. The Justin Campaign intend Football v Homophobia, 19 February will become the one day each year where individuals, community groups, grass roots teams and professional clubs internationally can express their disapproval of homophobia in football by celebrating under the banner [...]