German Footballer Admits He’s Gay On Reddit Thread

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Football v Homophobia

A German footballer has used Reddit to admit he is gay.

The unnamed footballer said that he kept his sexuality underwraps from his teammates and parents, and only a couple of close friends know about his true sexuality.

He also admitted that he had a fake girlfriend, and did not plan on coming out publicly any time soon.

The footballer used the pseudonym ‘Eckfahne’ instead of his name, but did reveal he played in the third division of the German league, and was 20-years-old.

Kick It Out

There are of course no openly gay footballers in the Premier League or across the top leagues in Europe, and while there has been a much bigger focus on eradicating homophobia in football, incidents like the one involving Burnley’s Andre Gray and his hate filled tweets, something that subsequently saw him charged by the FA, means we’re no closer to seeing a footballer come out as gay.

It is of course a huge shame that people in all walks of life, not just football, feel the need to hide their sexuality because of the fear of the reaction from their family, friends and work colleagues.

Campaigns like Kick It Out and films such as Wonderkid are trying to pave the way for a gay footballer to feel safe enough to admit their sexuality, but as this thread has shown, there’s a long way to go yet.

Football – UNILAD
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#Admits, #Footballer, #German, #HeS, #Reddit, #Thread - #Soccer

Wijnaldum Proves He’s An Real Life Magician With Mind-Boggling Skill

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When you arrive at Anfield with a £25 million price tag, you’d better be fucking good.

Well, Gini Wijnaldum has gone a long way to paying off that kind of fee with the most incredible piece of skill/magic/wizardry you’ve ever seen.

Check it out, I challenge you to watch it just once:

Wijnaldum is Magic… pic.twitter.com/cGsQd79oXg

— The F2 (@F2Freestylers) September 6, 2016

Seriously, I’ve watched this 329 times now, and I still can’t work it out.

My best guess is that during his short time working with Rafa Benitez, he’s picked up the Spaniard’s epic magic skills and run with them.

So, who is the Dumbledore of Merseyside? Benitez or Wijnaldum? Either way, it’s eaten up most of my afternoon.

Football – UNILAD
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#HeS, #Life, #Magician, #MindBoggling, #Proves, #Real, #Skill, #Wijnaldum - #Soccer

Ladarius Green refutes reports that he’s been suffering from headaches

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Ladarius Green’s health has been the great mystery of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason, but Green himself tried to set the record straight on Saturday.

The newly-signed tight end, who was reported to be suffering from headaches that were keeping him out of training camp, said that he has no idea where those rumors came from, per Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Ladarius Green said he has no idea where hsleadache rumor came from

— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib) August 20, 2016

Instead, the 26-year-old Green insisted that his absence was because of his ankle, which he underwent surgery on over the offseason (though Green does also say that he’s progressing on that front).

Green on headaches: "I dont know what reports those are. I am still on PUP because of my ankle."

— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib) August 20, 2016

Green on ankle: "Ankle is still no 100 percent. It is still not there. It"s getting better."

— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib) August 20, 2016

Green inked a four-year deal with Pittsburgh last March. For a player who suffered multiple concussions during his time as a San Diego Charger, this has to be a big sigh of relief for the Steelers and their fans.

Image Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

H/T Rotoworld

Football – Larry Brown Sports
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#Been, #From, #Green, #HeS, #Headaches, #Ladarius, #Refutes, #Reports, #Suffering - #Football

Jimmy Butler claims he’s a better wideout than Demaryius Thomas, Antonio Brown

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Jimmy Butler is already the face of the Chicago Bulls, but he may have delusions about starring for the Chicago Bears as well.

In an interview with Mark Schwarz of ESPN on Saturday, Butler tried to claim that he’s a better wide receiver than All-Pros Demaryius Thomas and Antonio Brown and that he would be getting franchise tagged if he wasn’t competing for USA Basketball at the Rio Games this summer. Many of Butler’s Olympic teammates didn’t feel quite the same way.

Jimmy Butler says he"d be a better WR than AB and Demaryius Thomas, gets roasted by all of Team USA https://t.co/fOIZ3DjxnH

— BALLUPNBA (@BallUpNBA) August 21, 2016

While Butler’s generous estimation of his own football talents may have been a little tongue-in-cheek, it seems he would at least have the physical tools to survive in the NFL. The two-time All-Star stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 220 pounds. For reference, Brown is listed at 5-foot-10, 181 pounds while Thomas clocks in at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. Butler also posted a max vert of 39 inches at the NBA Draft Combine in 2011.

Still, there are many more skills (efficient route running, speed/lateral movement, pass-catching ability, etc.) that go into being an elite wide receiver than just pure physical gifts. As such, Butler, who just signed a max contract with the Bulls last summer, is probably better off staying in his lane on the hardwood. But hey, maybe he still has a chance at starring in Invincible 2 with his buddy Mark Wahlberg.

Image Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

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#Antonio, #Better, #Brown, #Butler, #Claims, #Demaryius, #HeS, #Jimmy, #Than, #Thomas, #Wideout - #Football

Patrice Evra Proves Once Again Why He’s F*cking Epic

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Patrice Evra and Park Ji-sung are two of Manchester United’s modern day legends.

Evra – undoubtedly United’s best left back since Dennis Irwin in the 1990′ – spent eight years at Old Trafford, seven of which were with the Red Devils’ finest ever South Korean.

And, despite Park retiring in 2014 and Evra playing in Italy, the pair remain good friends, and Evra’s Instagram account proves it.

Check it out:

Mummy Ji sun Park!! playing with The PATMOBILE ILOVE THIS GAME !!! Ahahahahahahahahahzhahahhahaha@parkjisun

A video posted by Patrice Evra (@patrice.evra) on Aug 15, 2016 at 1:58am PDT

Yes, that is Park’s mum.

And yes, she is in Evra’s Mercedes-Benz SLS, complete with gull wing doors, looking like an absolute bad ass.

What makes it even better is that Evra has christened his car the ‘Patmobile’, which is the best pun I’ve heard all week.

Keep it up guys, this is one bromance that isn’t getting on our nerves.

Football – UNILAD
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#Again, #Epic, #Evra, #FCking, #HeS, #Once, #Patrice, #Proves - #Soccer

Xabi Alonso Proves He’s The Classiest Guy In Football Yet Again

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If you know football, you’ll know it’s fucking impossible to hate Xabi Alonso.

It’d be genuinely easier to kick a kitten in the face than hate the Spaniard, and Real Madrid have released a video to their YouTube account which pretty much confirms it.

Alonso was playing for Bayern Munich as they took on his former employers Real Madrid in a pre season friendly, and it gave the former Liverpool midfielder a chance to reunite with his former team mates before the game.

They all pile through the door and instantly embrace the 33-year-old when they see him, and a bromance-tastic love fest ensues.

Check it out: 

Classy bastard.

My personal favourite is the fifth guy in the video, who reaches out to Xabi before being inadvertently pied off by the midfielder.

Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard looks like a schoolkid waiting to meet a celebrity for the first time, and the moment with Luka Modric reunites one of the finest midfield partnerships of the last decade.

Stay classy, Xabi, everyone loves you.

Football – UNILAD
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#Again, #Alonso, #Classiest, #Football, #HeS, #Proves, #Xabi - #Soccer

Key Liverpool Man Claims He’s Ready To Be Next Club Legend

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Liverpool have struggled to replace Steven Gerrard ever since the Reds legend upped sticks and headed for Los Angeles last year.

As loveable as Joe Allen is, he wasn’t quite up to the job, but another midfielder is eyeing the Gerrard role after settling into the Liverpool team in his second  season at Anfield.

Emre Can is that man, and after getting a regular run in his favoured defensive midfield role under Jurgen Klopp, the German has high hopes for becoming a future Liverpool leader.

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Speaking about the Gerrard role, Can said:

The new midfield leader can be me, of course.

I have played a lot of games for Liverpool and know I am still young but I have to show it on the pitch now.

I can say I am a leader but you have to show it. Of course we have other leaders like Hendo or Milner.

We all want to do it – I am like that. I want to be the one pushing the team on.

Can found his feet in the second half of last season, after being utilised at right back, centre back and a variety of midfield roles under Brendan Rodgers after joining from Bayer Leverkusen in 2014.

His form got him into the Germany Euro 2016 team, and he played in Die Mannschaft’s semi final defeat to France last month.

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And he should find himself as a permanent fixture under Klopp this season, with long serving midfielder Lucas Leiva set to depart, leaving a holding midfield role wide open.

But it’s not just a starting place the 22-year-old has his eye on:

My confidence is high.

We have a very good team and we will see next season what it is but that target has to be to win titles.

If you play for Liverpool the target always has to be winning titles and it will be the same next season.

The closest Liverpool have came to winning the title was in 2013/14, when the combination of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez came within a whisker to bringing the Reds their first ever Premier League crown.

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And Can is a fan of the Liverpool legend, although is keen to carve out his own legendary status rather than be compared to the Englishman.

He added:

I say I have lot of respect for him and I am far off that level he played for Liverpool.

I have to go my own way, be Emre Can. But I have great respect for him and still keep in touch.

I met him in Los Angeles recently, and we still speak.

Klopp’s Liverpool should be an interesting entity this season, as the German boss makes his mark on his new team in his first full season.

Can is ready to thrive in the midfield though, and the Anfield faithful will be hoping he can go on to become even half as much of a legend as Stevie G was.

Football – UNILAD
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#Claims, #Club, #HeS, #Legend, #Liverpool, #Next, #Ready - #Soccer

Manchester United Star Claims He’s Willing To Fight For Future

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Since Jose Mourinho began his reign at Old Trafford, Manchester United has been all about new signings.

Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have all boosted the squad, but United have not yet sold any of their first team stars.

Marouane Fellaini, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo were all linked with an exit, but Dutch defender Blind has hit back at the people who expected him to leave Manchester this summer.

Given Mourinho’s preference for players who can play in one position, Blind’s versatility looked to have put him at a disadvantage, and Arsenal were linked with a move.

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But after getting some game time on United’s pre season tour of America, the 26-year-old has spoke about his future.

Talking about the rumours, Blind said:

People were making that mistake [me leaving] very quick.

But nothing was said and just like all the other guys, I want to work very hard and get my spot in the team.

I think in football, you never really have assurances. But I believe if you are confident and work hard that you will get chances.

What I’m saying is not only for me, but everyone in the squad. That’s what I do, work hard and I want to be part of the team.

Blind was part of United’s kit launch in China recently – which, by the rules of modern football, means he’s seen as someone who is unlikely to leave in the near future.

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Whether or not the former Ajax man will get games is another matter, with Bailly, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones all seemingly ahead of him in the race for a centre back spot.

However, with doubts over Bailly’s suitability for the Premier League, Blind could be handed another chance to impress.

Let’s hope Jose doesn’t give Fellaini a similar chance.

Football – UNILAD
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#Claims, #Fight, #Future, #HeS, #Manchester, #Star, #United, #Willing - #Soccer