Lazio Women unlawfully ended the Swedish footballer Maja Göthberg’s time at the club because of her pregnancy, the court of arbitration for sport (Cas) has ruled, ordering the Italian club to pay compensation.

The landmark case revolved around Fifa’s maternity regulations, which were enhanced in 2024. This was the first case in which Cas found a club unlawfully ended an employment relationship because of a player’s pregnancy and, significantly, the court found in the players’ favour even though she had not signed her proposed new contract at the time.

Göthberg had helped Lazio win promotion to Italy’s top tier in the 2023-24 campaign, before entering contract negotiations. No deal was signed but both parties had agreed on the key terms of the 28-year-old’s contract. Before signing, Göthberg discovered she was pregnant. Despite not being obliged to inform Lazio of her pregnancy at that stage, the former Sweden youth international chose to tell the club. Cas heard that Lazio then withdrew from the contract agreement. Cas also heard that Göthberg’s teammates had been informed of her pregnancy without her consent.

Göthberg, who initially lost her case at Fifa’s Dispute Resolution Chamber, leading to her taking her case to Cas, said in a statement: “This was never only about football: it was about being treated fairly and with respect at an important moment in my life. The ruling sends a message that pregnancy should never be treated as a problem or a reason to deny a player labour opportunities.”

Alexandra Gómez Bruinewoud, the legal director at the players’ union, Fifpro, who supported Göthberg’s battle, said: “This case shows that Fifa’s maternity regulations are not just words on paper and that they provide real protections for players.

“Clubs cannot simply walk away from an employment relationship, even if this is not fully formalised, once they learn a player is pregnant.”

WhatsApp messages were a key part of the evidence put forward to Cas, backing up Göthberg’s version of events and her chain of communication with Lazio, proving that the Italian club did know about her pregnancy, which they initially denied.

Cas also found Lazio to have breached rules around confidentially over private, sensitive medical information when revealing the midfielder’s pregnancy to her teammates. Göthberg was awarded financial compensation for this element of the case, too.

Göthberg, who has also played for clubs in Finland and Sweden earlier in her career, added: “I hope the case helps create a safer environment for players who want to have both a career and a family.”