Spanish footballer Iker Casillas has shared a tweet saying he is gay.
Casillas' post came more than a year after he split from his former wife, sports journalist Sara Carbonero, after five years of marriage.
The paid welcomed two children during their marriage, but divorced in March 2021. In a heartfelt statement written at the time, Casillas said both he and his ex-wife were 'enormously proud' of their family and said they have 'shared a love that has filled us with happiness during all our years together'.
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"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," he wrote of their split.
"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."
Today (9 October), the 41-year-old former Real Madrid player made an apparent announcement about his sexuality in a post written in Spanish, which reads (translated): "I hope you respect me: I'm gay. #happysunday."
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Casillas' post racked up up more than 200,000 likes in little more than an hour since it was first posted, and received mixed responses from Twitter users and football fans.
The responses included a message from Barcelona legend Carles Puyol, who wrote: "It's time to tell our story, Iker."
Puyol's post was accompanied by a love heart and kissing-face emoji, though it's unclear exactly what he was referring to.
Other Twitter users speculated the posts from both footballers may be the result of a hack, or some sort of joke. Shortly after his initial tweet was shared, Casillas deleted the post.
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Reports in Spain now suggest the football shared the 'I'm gay' tweet in a bid to deny rumours about him being romantically involved with actor Alejandra Onieva.
Casillas retired in 2020 after experiencing a cardiac arrest while training with the club Porto. During his time in the sport, he secured wins in one World Cup, two European Championships, five La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues.
His professional career spanned 22 years, but he spent a total of 25 years with the renowned football club Real Madrid after joining the club at just nine years old.
Emily Brown