Lazio Women ordered to pay compensation in pregnancy discrimination case

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled that Lazio Women unlawfully ended the Swedish footballer Maja Göthberg's contract because of her pregnancy, ordering the club to pay compensation, according to the Guardian and BBC Sport. The ruling marks the first successful case brought under FIFA's maternity protection regulations, a framework designed to shield pregnant players from contract termination and discrimination.

Göthberg's case hinged on whether Lazio's decision to end her employment constituted unlawful pregnancy discrimination under international football law. The CAS decision affirms that Italian clubs, like all FIFA member organisations, must comply with maternity protections that prevent clubs from using pregnancy as grounds for contract termination or reduced support. The compensation amount was not disclosed in the initial reporting.

The ruling carries significance for women's football in Italy and across Europe. Serie A Femminile and lower divisions operate under the same FIFA regulations, but enforcement has been inconsistent. The CAS precedent establishes a binding standard: clubs cannot circumvent maternity rights through contract language or timing of termination notices. For Lazio, the decision represents a costly setback in an era when Italian women's football is expanding investment and visibility.

The case also reflects broader labour protections gaining traction in professional sport. As women's football professionalises and player contracts become more valuable, disputes over employment rights—including maternity, injury, and discrimination claims—are increasingly resolved through arbitration rather than Italian labour courts. The CAS framework offers international athletes recourse when domestic systems prove inadequate, though the process remains expensive and time-consuming for individual players.