After the 2023‑24 season, Maja Gothberg, who made 29 appearances to help Lazio Women earn promotion, filed a dispute over an unfinalised contract. WhatsApp messages revealed key terms were agreed, but Lazio claimed her pregnancy prompted a breakdown. FIFA rules now demand clubs prove pregnancy is not the reason for termination.

Lazio faced a tribunal ruling that clubs cannot abandon a player once pregnancy is disclosed. The case echoes Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir’s 2023 win against Lyon, where unpaid salaries exceeded 82,000 euros. FIFA’s new framework now obliges clubs to pay 100% of wages for at least 14 weeks, extending protections to coaches and adopters.

Support from FIFPro and Sweden’s Spelarforeningen bolstered Gothberg’s claim, highlighting that pregnancy data remains confidential medical information. The tribunal’s decision confirms that implicit contract terms cannot be revoked simply because a player is pregnant. Lazio now faces potential sanctions, including transfer bans, if it fails to comply with the ruling.

The ruling reinforces FIFA’s 2024 amendments that grant women and coaches a minimum of 14 weeks paid maternity leave, with full wages before that cut‑off. Clubs may also extend leave for adoption or non‑biological motherhood, and permit players to miss training for menstrual health while maintaining pay. These changes aim normalize family planning for the football.