The Scandal: I told you Justin Fashanu (John’s brother) would appear on this list (making their family the most scandalous in world football history), and I wasn’t lying. Fashanu was a a good player who served as an able forward for teams all over the globe, but allegations of sexual assault against him would lead to his suicide and a worldwide scandal.
The Participants: Fashanu was the first openly gay player in soccer history and the first black British player to ever be transferred for more than 1 million pounds. After he was embroiled in the same match-fixing scandal as Grobbelaar, he eventually ended up in America where he was accused of sexual assault by a 17 year old male.
The Investigation: Fashanu was already back in England when the allegations were made against him, and the media attention drove him into seclusion. Eventually, the American police dropped their investigation due to lack of evidence. But, Fashanu hung himself prior to being cleared due to the shame he felt he had brought on his family.
The Legacy: Fashanu was a trailblazer and brave man to declare his homosexuality at a time when he knew it would expose him to hatred and result in his loss of endorsements. The allegations that led to his death were proven to be false, so it is a shame he decided to kill himself. All in all, the Fashanu scandal was a sad incident in soccer history.
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