German Soccer Player Wants Gay Athletes to Come Out

If German soccer player Manuel Neuer had his way, gay athletes would come out of the closet.

In a recent interview with German celebrity magazine Bunte, the 24-year-old goalie, who helped the Germans finish third in last year's World Cup, said fans are more concerned with an athlete's abilities than they are with his sexuality.

"Yes, those who are homosexual should say so. That would take a load off their minds," he said. "And the fans would get over it quickly. What is important to them is the performances on the pitch of the player, not his sexual preferences."

To date, the only German soccer player to come out is former regional league player Marcus Urban, who went public about his homosexuality several years after his retirement from the sport.

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