Oral Contract Upheld: Lazio Roma Ordered to Pay €69,333 for Pregnancy Discrimination
25.06.2026 - 02:01:59 | boerse-global.de
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled that a verbal agreement between soccer player Maja Göthberg and Lazio Roma constituted a binding employment contract, handing down a €69,333 penalty after the club backed out when she disclosed her pregnancy. The decision marks a significant legal precedent for professional football, affirming that an unsigned deal can create enforceable obligations and that pregnancy cannot be used as a reason to withdraw a job offer.
Göthberg, now 28, had been instrumental in Lazio’s promotion to Serie A during the 2023/24 season. At the end of that campaign, she reached an oral understanding with the club on a new contract. She had already booked a flight to Rome to sign the paperwork when she informed Lazio of her pregnancy. The club then refused to finalize the agreement, arguing that no contract existed without a physical signature. CAS disagreed, pointing to exchanged WhatsApp messages as evidence that both parties considered themselves bound.
The compensation consists of two components. Roughly €64,000 covers the remaining value of the agreed salary plus interest, compensating Göthberg for the earnings she lost when the working relationship was denied. An additional €5,333 was awarded for the violation of her personality rights. During the dispute, Lazio Roma had shared confidential medical information about the pregnancy with teammates without Göthberg’s consent. CAS ruled this a serious breach of medical data confidentiality.
The global players’ union FIFPRO called the verdict groundbreaking. It said the ruling sends a clear message to clubs: pregnancy must not be misused as a justification to strip athletes of employment opportunities. Göthberg herself stated that pregnancy should never be viewed as a problem or an obstacle in football. She welcomed the decision as a step toward normalizing motherhood in professional sport.
Lazio Roma acknowledged the ruling and announced it would review its internal procedures for contract negotiations and the handling of medical information. Legal experts see the case as a milestone on two fronts: it strengthens the legal force of oral agreements in professional sports and simultaneously protects the privacy of female athletes against unauthorized disclosure of sensitive health data.
