“Being called a poponar is not an insult!”

The Spanish footballer, known for coloring his nails, was repeatedly insulted in La Liga stadiums, being targeted by Sevilla fans two months ago.

Borja Iglesias, offended by opposing fans: “I hope you die!” and “Damn Poponar!”

In the match against Sevilla, after the final whistle, several offensive chants were heard from the stands towards the striker. These included messages such as “I hope you die!” or “Damned poponar!“.

Nicknamed “El Panda”, Borja Iglesias spoke openly about these attacks and how he came to view them today.

“At first they affected me. I took everything personally. But after thinking about it, I see things differently. Being called a “poponar” doesn't seem like an insult to me. When someone says that, I think I'd be much happier being gay than like himfull of hate and with nothing better to do than throw insults at the end of a match.”

Borja Iglesias, striker at Celta Vigo // PHOTO: Instagram

Borja Iglesias: “A homosexual is afraid to make his sexual orientation public”

The Spanish forward also spoke about the atmosphere in football regarding sexual orientation, pointing out that many players avoid talking about the subject.

“What bothers me is that a homosexual is afraid to go public with his sexual orientation because of such reactions. Not being able to be yourself and love who you want is unacceptable. It saddens me that it still seems impossible for gay footballers to make their orientation public. They probably feel that if they spoke they would lose everything they've built.”

The Celta Vigo footballer, however, believes that things could evolve in the future.

“I think we are closer than ever to that moment, but unfortunately we are still far away. In twenty years in the world of football, no team-mate has ever spoken to me about this, and it makes me think“, said Iglesias, according to L'Equipe.