CAS orders Lazio to compensate Maja Gothberg over pregnancy contract termination | OneFootball

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Wednesday that Lazio must compensate Maja Gothberg after the club terminated her contract while she was pregnant.

According to L'Équipe, it is the first ruling of its kind in football and could reshape protections for players who are expecting.

The case dates back to summer 2024, when the 28-year-old and the Rome club discussed an extension after she had joined the previous summer. No formal deal was signed, but both sides agreed the main terms. Shortly before finalisation, Gothberg learned she was pregnant and told the club, sparking the dispute.

Lazio maintained no agreement or contract existed. Gothberg argued the club withdrew once it knew of her pregnancy. She first went to FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber, which did not find in her favour.

She then appealed to CAS, supported by the global players’ union FIFPRO, which ruled she had been unlawfully disadvantaged because of her pregnancy.

WhatsApp messages showing an agreement existed, and that Lazio knew about the pregnancy despite initially denying it, were central to the verdict.

The amount remains undisclosed. CAS also clarified that a signed contract is not required for employment protection when both parties act as if one exists. Members of the Lazio set-up also revealed her pregnancy without consent, a privacy breach that counted in Gothberg’s favour.

Source: L'Équipe