Czech Liga

The Czech Republic international is on loan at Sparta Prague from parent club Getafe.

Jankto posted a video on Twitter on Monday where he made the announcement, with a caption at the end stating: "This is not an entertainment. The purpose of this video is to encourage others."

"I am Jakub Jankto and like everybody else, I have my strengths and I have my weaknesses," the 27-year-old said.

"I have a family and I have my friends. I have a job which I have been doing as best as I can for years with seriousness, professionalism and passion.

"Like everybody else I also want to live my life in freedom, without fears, without prejudice, without violence, but with love.

"I am homosexual and I no longer want to hide myself."

Jankto has 45 caps for the Czech Republic, including making five appearances at Euro 2020.

The former Udinese and Sampdoria midfielder joined Getafe in August 2021, before returning to his native country in a loan deal with Sparta at the start of this season, where he has one goal in 10 Czech First League appearances.

Jankto is the latest professional footballer to come out as gay following Adelaide United's Josh Cavallo in 2021 and Blackpool youngster Jake Daniels last year.

The 71-year-old, famed for his chipped penalty against Germany that won Czechoslovakia the 1976 European Championship, was admitted to hospital on Wednesday.

It was an iconic moment and the action of dinking the ball from the spot was subsequently named after Panenka, with many players repeating the trick across the globe in the years since.

Bohemians said in a statement: "The honorary president of Bohemians 1905, the legend of the Kangaroos and all Czechoslovak and Czech football Antonin Panenka was taken to hospital in the intensive care unit. The scorer of the legendary penalty is on machines that support his vital functions."

The club later issued an update confirming that Panenka had tested positive for COVID-19.

The Czech Republic Football Association and Rapid Vienna, another of Panenka's former teams, posted messages of support on social media.

Panenka played in 59 international games and scored 17 goals. He registered 76 in 230 league matches for Bohemians and 63 in 127 for Rapid, with whom he won the Austrian Bundesliga twice and the OFB Cup three times.