06/24/26 06:45:00
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06/24 06:43 CDT Landmark legal win compensates pregnant soccer player who lost
contract
Landmark legal win compensates pregnant soccer player who lost contract
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) --- In a landmark legal win for female soccer
players, sport's highest court has awarded Maja Gthberg salary compensation
from Lazio Women after the Italian club ended contract talks when it knew she
was pregnant.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ordered Lazio to pay Gthberg more than
70,000 euros ($79,000) in salary compensation and "infringement of her
personality rights" including 5% interest for the past two years, in a verdict
published Wednesday by the global players' union FIFPRO.
The former Sweden youth international took her appeal to CAS after losing her
initial claim at a FIFA tribunal.
"The significance of this ruling goes beyond Maja Gthberg and confirms clubs
cannot simply walk away from an employment relationship, even if this is not
fully formalized, once they learn a player is pregnant," FIFPRO's Legal
Director Alexandra Gomez Bruinewoud said.
Gthberg played for Lazio Women in the 2023-24 season and helped the club win
promotion to the top tier.
She discovered she was pregnant and told the club during talks that summer on a
new contract for a gross salary of 64,000 euros ($72,500), the CAS ruling
stated.
"Immediately afterwards, the relationship broke down," FIFPRO said. "Lazio
Women later argued that no contract existed and that the player no longer
wished to continue."
Key evidence in the appeal win was WhatsApp messages sent during negotiations
which showed that Lazio was aware of her pregnancy.
FIFA judges had previously decided Gthberg had "failed to establish that the
parties had concluded an employment contract," the CAS ruling said
"CAS made clear that where the essential terms have been agreed and both
parties act as though a contract exists, a player is protected," the union
said. "The CAS ruling also establishes an important precedent around the
confidentiality of pregnancy-related medical information."
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