Marcus Urban, the first professional footballer in Germany to publicly come out as gay, has lifted the lid on a hidden truth within elite football. According to him, players in Europe’s top leagues still use “fake girlfriends and fake marriages” to conceal their sexuality.
Now an activist and prominent voice for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport, Urban shared his perspective in an excerpt published by German outlet BILD.
His comments feature in the upcoming book Mensch Fußballstar (Human, Football Star) by Swiss journalist Andreas Boni, set for release on August 18.
The book invites high-profile names, including Lothar Matthäus and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, to tackle football’s lingering taboos.
Marcus Urban makes shocking claim about some gay footballer
For Urban, the biggest hurdle for players isn’t the press or the fans anymore, but something far closer to home.
“I sincerely believe that the fans are no longer the problem. The clubs, for the most part, aren’t either. Today, it’s more about the internal climate, the fears of the players and the people around them,” he explained, as quoted by MARCA.
Urban paints a picture of a discreet yet powerful network that thrives on keeping players silent.
“They organise fake girlfriends and fake marriages. At the same time, there are agencies that arrange sexual encounters. They make good money from this. Sometimes, player representatives set it up for their clients — and once they do, they have the players in their hands.”
He also revealed that in 2024, a coordinated coming-out event had been planned for several professionals on May 17, but it never happened.
“Some players genuinely wanted to come out. In the end, none of them dared. Too many people around them — media lawyers, advisors, family — told them not to. People who live off their money and fame, who project their own fears and misguided concern onto the players, holding them back from freedom.”