Göthberg played for Lazio during the 2023-24 season and helped the club win promotion to Italy’s top flight, the report says. During talks over a new agreement, she disclosed that she was pregnant. The relationship then broke down, with Lazio reportedly arguing that no contract had been concluded and that the player no longer wished to continue.
A series of WhatsApp messages became central to the appeal. They reportedly showed that the club knew about Göthberg’s pregnancy while negotiations were ongoing. CAS reached a different conclusion from an earlier tribunal decision, finding that the essential terms and the parties’ conduct could establish an employment relationship even without a fully formalised document.
The case highlights a vulnerable point in women’s football, where players’ careers and employment rights have often developed faster than the contractual protections around them.
If the report’s account is upheld, clubs may face greater scrutiny when negotiations have effectively moved beyond an informal conversation. The ruling also reportedly reinforces the confidentiality of pregnancy-related medical information, an issue that can influence whether players feel safe being open with employers.
For clubs, the message is straightforward: verbal assurances, messages and agreed terms can carry serious legal weight. For players, it offers a stronger argument that pregnancy should not erase protections already created through the employment process.
The next test will come in future contract disputes, particularly during transfer windows, as clubs and players seek clearer agreements around maternity, medical privacy and the right to continue a career after childbirth.