CAS pregnancy ruling raises employment risks for clubs
A CAS ruling ordering Lazio Women to compensate Maja Göthberg after ending their employment relationship following disclosure of her pregnancy has strengthened maternity and medical privacy protections across professional football.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has ordered Lazio Women to pay Swedish player Maja Göthberg €69,333 plus interest after finding the club unlawfully ended an employment relationship because she was pregnant.The decision is significant because Göthberg had not signed the proposed new contract, but CAS concluded that the parties had agreed its essential terms and established a sufficiently binding employment relationship.Göthberg said: “This case was never only about football: it was about being treated fairly and with respect at an important moment in my life. The ruling sends a message that pregnancy should never be treated as a problem or a reason to deny a player labour opportunities.”Göthberg helped Lazio win promotion to Serie A Women during the 2023–24 season before entering negotiations over a renewed agreement.The former Sweden youth international informed the club of her pregnancy in July 2024, despite not being required to disclose it at that stage. Lazio subsequently withdrew from the proposed arrangement.Göthberg initially lost her claim before FIFA’s dispute resolution chamber but appealed to CAS with support from global players’ union FIFPRO.Messages submitted during the proceedings showed that Lazio officials knew about the pregnancy before ending negotiations, despite the club initially claiming otherwise.CAS awarded Göthberg €64,000 in salary compensation and a further €5,333 for infringement of her personality rights, including the unauthorised disclosure of sensitive medical information.FIFPRO legal director Alexandra Gómez Bruinewoud said: “This case shows that FIFA’s maternity regulations are not just words on paper and that they provide real protections for players.“Clubs cannot simply walk away from an employment relationship, even if this is not fully formalised, once they learn a player is pregnant.”The ruling expands the practical effect of FIFA’s maternity regulations, which were strengthened in 2024 to improve employment protection for players during pregnancy, maternity leave and the return to football.It also increases the legal and financial exposure facing clubs that rely on unsigned agreements, informal negotiations or short-term contracts when managing players who become pregnant.Recruitment discussions are frequently conducted through agents, messaging platforms and verbal commitments before formal documents are completed. CAS has now demonstrated that those communications can establish enforceable obligations.Clubs will need clearer contracting procedures, written decision records and controls governing access to medical information.Women’s teams operating within larger clubs may also need dedicated human resources and legal expertise rather than relying on employment practices designed primarily around the men’s game.Lazio said they respected the ruling and attributed the dispute to misunderstandings and differing interpretations. The club committed to reviewing and strengthening their internal procedures.The decision follows previous maternity cases in women’s football, including Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir’s successful claim against Lyon over unpaid salary during pregnancy.Göthberg’s case goes further by confirming that maternity protection can apply before a final contract is signed when evidence shows that an employment agreement had effectively been reached.The ruling gives players and unions a stronger basis to challenge clubs that withdraw offers, reduce opportunities or disclose pregnancy information without consent.