Olivier Giroud: It is ‘impossible’ for gay footballers to come out

'There is still a lot of work in the football world on this subject, to say the least'

Giroud is currently on international duty with France ahead of their matches against the Netherlands and Uruguay (Getty)

Olivier Giroud has said it is “impossible” for footballers to show homosexuality in the sport, admitting he “understands the pain and difficulty” that stops professional players from coming out as gay.

In an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, Giroud said that the experiences of Thomas Hitzlsperger – the former Aston Villa player who came out in 2014 – demonstrated the extent to which football remained out of touch with the modern world.

“It was very emotional,” he said of Hitzlsperger. “This is when I told myself that it was impossible to display his homosexuality in football. In a changing room, there is a lot of testosterone, rooming together, collective showers … It’s tricky but it’s like that.

“I understand the pain and the difficulty of guys coming out; it’s a real test after working on oneself for years. I am ultra-tolerant on it – when I was in Montpellier I was engaged in this fight by posing for [the magazine] Têtu.

“At Arsenal when they asked me to wear the ‘Rainbow Laces’ in support of the gay community, I did it. There is still a lot of work in the football world on this subject, to say the least.”

Hitzlsperger, who retired in 2013, remains the only openly gay player to have played in England’s top tier.

Giroud is currently on international duty with France ahead of their matches against the Netherlands and Uruguay.