Melbourne Victory fined over spectators' homophobic abuse towards Adelaide player Josh Cavallo

A-League club Melbourne Victory has been fined $5,000 over homophobic abuse from fans directed at Adelaide United defender Josh Cavallo during a league fixture at Melbourne's AAMI Park on 8th January.

Football Australia issued the sanction following the incident at the A-League Men's game between the Victory and the Reds in Melbourne earlier this month.

In issuing the penalty, the governing body said it had considered the Victory's prompt denunciation of the behaviour and its commitment to banning "any individuals identified as having engaged in the conduct" from future matches.

It said the $5,000 would be used to "further invest in LGBTQ+ awareness and education initiatives in football".

Cavallo, who is currently the only out gay player in a top-tier men's football league worldwide, came on as a substitute in the match at AAMI Park.

The following day, he revealed he had been subjected to abuse from the crowd and on Instagram, saying he was "not going to pretend that I didn't see or hear the homophobic abuse" and that he would "never apologise for living my truth".

Commenting on the sanction, FA Chief Executive, James Johnson advised "to be clear, the actions of the spectators responsible for using homophobic slurs against Josh Cavallo were completely unacceptable.

"I want to thank Josh for his courage in calling out this unacceptable behaviour and the club for its swift and strong response.

"In issuing the sanction, Football Australia is warning all participants and fans of the need to work together to ensure everyone can freely participate in our sport regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, ability or disability, cultural or religious background."

The penalty comes after the Victory was handed a show cause notice by Football Australia under its national code of conduct and ethics.

Johnson added "we look at all incidents on a case-by-case basis and take into consideration the totality of the situation and behaviours. This is not a situation where the club has been sitting on its hands.

"The club provided a detailed submission, and it has taken a strong stance against anti-social behaviour - both by its actions before and after this incident."

While some fans were removed from the venue on the night of the game, Victory has committed to banning the perpetrators.

Johnson also praised the actions of Victory supporters "who showed their disdain for the incident" and helped to identify some of those responsible.

Cavallo made international headlines and received worldwide support when he came out via social media and Adelaide United's online channels on 27th October.

Image: AAMI Park.