On Monday, information began to spread in football Slovakia that 28-year-old Czech Jakub Jankto will transfer from the Italian Cagliari in Serie A to the champion Slovan Bratislava.
Photo: GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP / AFP / Profimedia
Jakub Jankto in the Cagliari jersey, for which he currently plays.
In the evening, Tomáš Kotlárik, a journalist from Slovak television, confirmed the information of the Czech daily Sport, as well as rumors on social networks. He even wrote in his status that Jankto should even be introduced to a fan of the Bratislava team on Tuesday.
Jankto himself did not confirm these rumours, but neither did he deny them.
“I am still in Italy and so far I have not considered a transfer to Slovan. No one even called me,” the former Czech representative and, until recently, Sparta player, answered the question of the inFotbal.cz portal on Monday evening.
However, Jankto confirmed for a specialized football website that if such a chance arose, he would be interested in a transfer.
Infotbal.cz reports about Jankt that his contract in Cagliari expires in a year and the club has given him permission to look for a new employer. However, the management of the Whites must make a move, because the native of Prague and raised by Slavia must be brought to the club before midnight today. Then the transfer window closes.
The skilful midfielder played 45 matches for the Czech national team. He joined Slavia’s academy when he was six years old, but spent most of his career in Italy. Season 2022/2023 again in Sparta. It was during his time in this team that the whole world got to know him, as he decided to speak out about his sexual orientation.
“Like everyone else, I have strengths, I also have weaknesses. I have family, friends. I have a job that I do to the best of my ability. For many years, with all seriousness, professionally and with passion.
Like everyone else, I want to live my life freely. Without fear, prejudice, violence. But with love. I’m gay and I don’t want to hide any longer,” he announced to the world a year and a half ago in English.
Millions of plays, thousands of shares and hundreds of thousands of likes followed. FIFA, UEFA, Premier League, La Liga, absolute giants such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Juventus also spoke up, and Sparta Prague, for which Jankto played at the time, had their say.
Photo: ČTK / AP / Petr David Josek
Jakub Jankto Jakub Jankto. The Czech soccer player came out with his secret on Monday, February 13, 2023. Through a video on Instagram, he openly admitted to homosexual orientation – as the first ever active soccer player in the world.
“Jakub spoke openly about his sexual orientation some time ago with our management, the coach and our teammates. Everything else concerns his personal life. No further comments. No further questions. You have our support. Live your life,” wrote the Czech club.
His decision was met with great enthusiasm. He is praised by leading sports media from Britain to Italy, Jankto also found great support at home.
“Someone will accuse Jankt that he is just hungry for attention and should have kept this information in the circle of family and friends. However, it cannot be disputed that with this step he helps others, becomes a role model, paves the way for them,” wrote the cnn.iprima.cz portal in a comment.
Jankt’s former partner, with whom he has a three-year-old son, also spoke. “I’m proud that he came out with it. He is the first, the others are afraid of being plundered. I believe that people will continue to like him,” said Markéta Ottomanská in an interview with idnes.cz, who was suing the football player for alimony the year before last.
Conversely, hundreds of critical links were found under the status of the International Football Federation (FIFA). They called the umbrella organization hypocritical. Not long ago, it held the World Championships in Qatar and did not stand up for players with a different orientation.
However, his engagement in Sparta did not end well. He barely played ten games in the club. On April 18, 2023, he was stopped by the Czech police and submitted to a breathalyzer test, which was negative.
However, he refused to submit to drug tests. In addition, the police found out that his driver’s license had been officially revoked in the past months. A day later, he was removed from Sparta Prague for personal reasons and due to a traffic incident.
Source: sportweb.pravda.sk
