FIFPRO Senior Legal Counsel Alexandra Gomez Bruinewoud initiated the discussions with FIFA and other stakeholders, and fought hard to optimise these protective regulations, to enable women to combine being a parent with their football career.
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Why maternity regulations are so important to women's players
A groundbreaking maternity case
Icelandic midfielder Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir became the first player to win a claim against a club through the FIFA Maternity Regulations. FIFPRO provided legal support to Bjork Gunnarsdottir, from explaining her rights to representing her before the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber.
"Players have the right to be mothers"
Senior Legal Counsel Alexandra Gomez Bruinewoud was an integral force in defining what is now known as the FIFA Maternity Regulations, and ensuring their inclusion in FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.
Helen Ward: "Players don’t have to sacrifice their career to be a mother"
Wales’ all-time scorer talked to FIFPRO in 2021 about her own experiences of balancing motherhood and a playing career, and how maternity is a different ball game in the world of football.
Jessica Wik: “It is possible to be a mother and play professionally”
Sweden international Jessica Wik addresses the perceived incompatibility between professional football and motherhood, and hopes that FIFA’s maternity regulations, drafted collaboratively with FIFPRO’s involvement will be fully implemented soon in her country.
Line Roddik Hansen: "We compare pregnancy to an ACL injury"
Line Roddik Hansen, who spent 15 years playing for Denmark, retired ahead of having her first child last year. The former Olympique Lyon, Barcelona and Ajax defender says football can learn from handball with regards to players returning after maternity.
Crystal Dunn: "We must raise the game for mothers in soccer"
2019 Women’s World Cup champion Crystal Dunn is a member of FIFPRO’s Global Player Council. The Portland Thorns defender became a mother for the first time in 2022 and is a strong advocate for maternal rights.
FIFA and FIFPRO develop standards on management of personal player performance data
Following the increasing importance of new technologies in football to collect possibly large amounts of data related to the performance and well-being of football players, FIFA and FIFPRO have agreed to identify and develop standards and best practices for the collection, protection and use of personal player-performance data based on the GDPR and Swiss Law.
Sanne Troelsgaard: "Pregnancy is the start of something beautiful – not the end of your career"
Danish midfielder Sanne Troelsgaard (34) joined Women’s Super League side Reading in 2021. She has been a member of the Denmark national team since 2008, winning more than 170 senior international caps.