'Treated as a problem' | Football club unlawfully withdrew contract over player's pregnancy, landmark ruling finds

An Italian women's football club unlawfully withdrew a contract offer after discovering a player was pregnant, in what has been described as the first successful case under FIFA's strengthened maternity protections.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that Lazio Women must pay Swedish defender Maja Göthberg €64,000 (£55,000) in compensation after finding the club ended an employment relationship because of her pregnancy. The club was also ordered to pay a further €5,333 for unlawfully disclosing her confidential medical information to teammates.

The ruling is believed to be the first time CAS has found that a football club unlawfully terminated an employment relationship because of a player's pregnancy, even though a formal contract had not yet been signed.

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Göthberg had helped Lazio win promotion to Italy's top flight during the 2023-24 season and had been negotiating a new one-year deal worth €64,000 gross. According to the CAS award, both parties had agreed the key contractual terms, draft contracts had been exchanged, and the club had arranged medicals, airport transport and accommodation ahead of pre-season.