Lazio Women ordered to pay compensation to Maja Göthberg over pregnancy contract dispute

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that Italian club S.S. Lazio Women unlawfully ended the employment relationship with Swedish midfielder Maja Göthberg after she disclosed her pregnancy. The tribunal found that a binding oral agreement on a new contract had been reached before the pregnancy was known, and that the club’s termination breached FIFA’s maternity regulations. CAS ordered Lazio to pay roughly €69,000 in total – about €64,000 for salary losses, €5,300 for infringement of personality rights, plus interest – and to compensate for the breach of confidentiality when the player’s medical information was shared with teammates. Evidence included WhatsApp messages confirming the club’s awareness of the pregnancy. FIFPRO’s legal director called the decision “groundbreaking” and said it confirms that clubs cannot walk away from an employment relationship once they learn a player is pregnant. The ruling establishes a precedent for protecting pregnant athletes in professional football worldwide and signals that clubs must respect both contractual obligations and medical privacy.