Iker Casillas deletes tweet in which he appeared to come out as gay to fans

Real Madrid and Spain legend Iker Casillas has deleted his tweet in which he claimed he was coming out as gay.

In a tweet published on Sunday afternoon, the ex-goalkeeper said: "I hope you respect me: I'm gay." Casillas was married to sports journalist Sara Carbonero for five years before their separation in March 2021, having had two children together, both boys.

But news soon emerged that Casillas' claim may have been a hoax amid reports that he's fed up of recent speculation surrounding his dating life in the Spanish press. Spanish outlet AS claim that Casillas' Twitter post is a response to rumours that he's in a possible relationship with Alejandra Onieva - the ex-sister-in-law of Spanish TV host Tamara Falco.

After making the social media statement, the 41-year-old still received a wave of support following the tweet, including from Barcelona icon and his old Spain teammate, Carles Puyol. But less than two hours later and Casillas, who retired in 2020 after suffering a cardiac arrest during training with final club Porto, had taken his tweet down.

Josh Cavallo, the Australian player who came out as gay last October, gave his verdict on the situation by tweeting: "Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol joking and making fun out of coming out in football is disappointing.

"It's a difficult journey that any LGBTQ+ ppl have to go through. To see my role models and legends of the game make fun out of coming out and my community is beyond disrespectful."

Casillas won one World Cup, two European Championships, five La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues in a distinguished senior career which spanned 22 years. Spending a total of 25 years with Real Madrid, whom he joined at the age of nine, the Los Blancos hero lifted a whopping 19 trophies, while also captaining the team from 2010 until his departure in 2015.

Between 2004 and 2008, Casillas dated the winner of a beauty pageant, Eva Gonzalez. Soon after their split, Casillas began dating Carbonero. The shot-stopper famously kissed the reporter following Spain's triumph at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when La Roja famously beat the Netherlands in the final thanks to Andres Iniesta 's extra-time winner.

Their first son, Martin, now eight, was born in Madrid on January 3, 2014. In November the following year, the couple announced that they were expecting their second child. Three months before Lucas, now six, arrived on June 2, 2016, Casillas and Carbonero married. Their official partnership would last for five years until last March when their separation was announced.

Upon announcing that news, Casillas declared in an emotional statement: "Both Sara and I feel enormously proud of the family we are and of having shared a love that has filled us with happiness during all our years together. Today our love as a couple takes different but not distant paths since we'll continue together in the marvellous task of continuing to be devoted parents as we have been up until now.

"This is a well-considered decision which we have taken through mutual agreement. The respect, affection and friendship will remain for ever. Our priority is, through affection and compromise, to share the wellbeing and education of our children and protect them so they grow in a stable and healthy environment.

"With these words we ask you please to respect our privacy in this moment of change. These will be the only public words we issue for the time being and in the future. Many thanks for your understanding."

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