CAS orders Lazio to pay €69,000 to Maja Göthberg

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered Italian club SS Lazio to pay Swedish footballer Maja Göthberg nearly €69,000 in compensation after finding the club had terminated her contract negotiations following her pregnancy. The ruling, delivered today, confirms the club’s breach of the agreed extension.

Lazio and Göthberg had reached an agreement on a contract extension, which had been communicated to both parties but remained unsigned. The extension was intended to continue her employment with the club.

After Göthberg became pregnant, Lazio withdrew from the negotiations and asserted that she no longer wished to play for the club. The Italian side communicated this position to the players, although the club should have sought formal permission before acting.

WhatsApp messages exchanged between the parties were deemed sufficient evidence of an existing agreement and of the discussion surrounding Göthberg’s pregnancy. These messages demonstrated that the contract had effectively been in place before the termination.

FIFPRO’s legal director Alexandra Gomez Bruinewoud welcomed the decision. "This ruling clubs cannot simply end an employment relationship as soon as they discover a player is pregnant. Even if the contract is not fully formalised," she said.

Göthberg expressed relief, stating, "This case was never only about football; it was about being treated honestly and with respect at a crucial moment in my life." She added that the verdict sends a signal that pregnancy must never be viewed as a problem or a reason to deny a player’s employment opportunities.

Following her departure from Lazio, the 28‑year‑old Göthberg has not secured a new contract and has now stopped playing football. Her career remains on hold as she seeks opportunities outside the professional game.