When Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir discovered she was pregnant, in March 2021, what invaded her physique was not solely pleasure. There are additionally doubts and doubts. And a foul feeling of guilt, such as you’re about to let another person down. After all, not a single soccer participant from the mighty Lyon, a membership with eight Champions League trophies in the museum, introduced a being pregnant.
“It’s all a load of nerves”, admits the Icelandic participant, in a printed letter this Tuesday on “The Players Tribune”, the place she revealed her aspect of the story that guarantees to be a turning level in girls’s soccer. Here on this textual content, with the title “What occurred in my being pregnant”, which explains the particulars of what he skilled. In abstract, the story navigates this plot: the couple’s discovery of being pregnant, the coaching and secrets and techniques of the membership’s docs and physiotherapists, the concern, the announcement of the group, the case, the lack of the administrators, the grief, the wages that do not drip into the checking account, the threats, giving beginning, coaching to remain wholesome, the bureaucratic fights and becoming a member of the unions.
And there are numerous extra: there, after numerous occasions reported and the grievance to FIFA with the collaboration of FIFPro, the entity that unites the soccer unions of every nation, the participant lastly celebrated the victory in court docket and revealed why he acted as he did.
“We congratulate Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir on the profitable grievance in opposition to Olympique Lyonnais for the membership not paying her full wage throughout her being pregnant”, reads a publication on the FIFPRO social networks. The physique that unites gamers from completely different unions additionally emphasised that that is the first resolution of this nature since FIFA carried out, in January 2021, the new guidelines to guard gamers who need to change into moms.
The story
In addition to the secrecy of the first weeks of being pregnant, there’s discomfort approaching the necessary match in opposition to PSG. In coaching the earlier day, Gunnarsdóttir threw up 3 times. The coach requested him earlier than if every little thing was okay, on the day of the recreation, later requested if he may are available at halftime. Sara stated no. It’s time to inform the group.
James Gill – Danehouse
The participant’s plan is to spend the being pregnant in Iceland, an thought accepted by the membership, which in social networks and in official web site accepted your soccer participant for that lovely second in his life. The plan, in accordance with the letter printed on Tuesday, is at all times to return to the membership after giving beginning. “I imagine that being the first Lyon participant to return from being pregnant is one thing we are able to have fun collectively”, she thought earlier than. The plan is ready in movement (insurance coverage papers signed and journey to Iceland). There, he was lastly relieved, he introduced his mom nearer and he may perceive what the docs had been telling him.
But issues didn’t prove as anticipated. The wage, the first obtained since her being pregnant, didn’t seem in the financial institution assertion, as she solely obtained social safety cash. “Actually, there are quite a lot of logistics to take care of, so I did not suppose an excessive amount of about it. Maybe it was a mistake. But I requested different gamers for positive. They obtained it at the right time.”
It was not a mistake and Gunnarsdóttir didn’t obtain her subsequent wage, one thing that occurs throughout being pregnant. He needed to withdraw cash from financial savings to cowl his bills and additionally a private coach to remain match, he stated. The agent requested the membership for the accounts, which didn’t reply. The sports activities director lastly responded, at one level, realizing that he’ll obtain what he ought to obtain, however that from the third month onwards he isn’t entitled to something, claiming that that is what the regulation says France.
The participant is vaguely conscious that she is protected by FIFA’s newest maternity safety legal guidelines. Introduced on January 1, 2021, the new guidelines present, for instance, for a minimal maternity depart of 14 weeks, of which no less than eight should comply with the beginning of the youngster, which additionally ensures two-thirds of wage, in the case of nationwide laws or collective bargaining settlement doesn’t set up a better worth.
Then the French gamers’ union entered the discipline, in addition to FIFPro. The cash continues to be not in the Icelandic footballer’s account. When the athlete’s representatives revealed to the membership that they intend to file a grievance with FIFA, the sporting director stated: “If Sara goes to FIFA with this, she may have no future at Lyon in any respect”.
James Gill – Danehouse
“I simply wished to get pleasure from my being pregnant (…) however as an alternative I felt confused, pressured and betrayed”, she vented in the letter printed by “The Players Tribune”. At one level he instructed his teammate that he was about to give up soccer. He felt neglected, as a result of nobody in the membership was watching him.
The beginning is “the most wonderful factor”, stated the present participant of Juventus, it’s one thing particular to be a mom. “You really feel like a superhero after giving beginning like this.” The trio, Sara, Árni and Ragnar, accomplice and youngster, returned to Lyon in January. His thought, having emptied his want to shout his dissatisfaction with the whole unhealthy story, was to return to what he was. Sonia Bompastor, the present coach, stated to assist him. But difficulties adopted: first, they instructed him that he couldn’t deliver the youngster to the video games, in order to not disturb his colleagues. Later, when the participant rejected this assumption, they instructed him that they might take a look at this situation in a two-fight recreation. Gunnarsdóttir shook her head twice. No understanding. “They at all times made me really feel like giving beginning was a detrimental factor,” she stated.
The participant maintains the will to defend himself firmly and FIFPro is on the floor. “The sporting director instructed me that it is not private, it is simply enterprise”, he added. The struggle was exhausting him and his future at the membership was unattainable, he realized.
The resolution of the course of raised by FIFPro was introduced in May, and was favorable to the participant: Lyon should pay the participant all the wages owed to him. The membership moved to know the guts of that deliberation, to determine whether or not or to not proceed with an attraction. They selected to comply with the preliminary resolution.
“The victory is greater than me. It serves as a assure of monetary safety for all gamers who need to have a toddler throughout their profession”, reads the letter. “Which is unlikely, or unknown. (…) I need to ensure that nobody goes by way of what I went by way of. And I need Lyon to know that it is not OK. It’s not simply enterprise. This is about my rights as a employee, as a lady and as an individual. We deserve higher.”