Germany and Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm has likened modern football to the gladiatorial arena due to the philosophy of those on the terraces.

Lahm admits that the atmosphere in the stands makes it harder for gay footballers to come out of the closet.

"The football stadium is rarely politically correct. Football is like gladiatorial combat. I do not think that society is at the point where it can accept gay professional footballers, as is already possible in other areas," Lahm told Fr-Online.de.

Another issue making waves in the Bundesliga is mental illness, with Ralf Rangnick giving up the Schalke job and Hannover goalkeeper Markus Miller taking time off due to burnout.

"If you look at the facts, burnout and depression are now common diseases," Lahm continued. "Unfortunately depression and burnout are still too often interpreted as weaknesses, although this perhaps has changed recently."

The 28-year-old also took time to play down rumors of a rift between himself and Michael Ballack, who he replaced as Germany captain in 2010 in controversial circumstances.