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AC Milan introduces maternity policy for players and staff

Posted on by darion

Italian powerhouse AC Milan claims to be the first club in Europe to guarantee contract extensions for players who become pregnant in the final year of their contract.

Competitors will also receive support with childcare, as well as coverage for expenses related to the care of children and a companion.

The initiative is part of a wider push to improve players’ rights, following the introduction by FIFA in May of new standards aimed at protecting pregnant female footballers.

Italy’s Serie A turned professional for the 2022-23 season and is set to expand from 10 to 13 teams for the 2025-26 season.

First in European football

The Italian club said in a statement published on its official website that it will guarantee automatic contract extensions to players who become pregnant during the final season of their contract.

This innovative maternity policy for players and staff provides a range of protections during pregnancy and early childhood that go beyond current regulations.

According to the 2017 FIFPRO Global Employment Report, a worldwide study of working conditions in women’s football, only 2% of players surveyed across four continents had children, while 47% said they would leave football to start a family.

What does it include?

With this policy, AC Milan wants to support female footballers and technical professionals not only in their professional development, but also throughout their career path, creating an environment that will enable them to make important life decisions.

In addition to the safeguards provided for in applicable legal provisions, the Club will also guarantee:

Automatic renewal of contracts with a one-year extension on the same economic terms for players whose contract expires during the season in which their pregnancy begins

Assistance with childcare during sports activities and financial support with flight, accommodation and other travel-related expenses for the children of a pregnant athlete or the sole carer, plus one accompanying person.

Rossonere players will continue to benefit from protection related to pregnancy, mandatory remuneration and return to activity in accordance with the regulations in force, in particular FIFA guidelines, AIC collective agreements and the club’s internal regulations.

AC Milan also announced that it will provide its players with access to professional services in the field of psycho-pedagogical support, physiotherapy and nutrition, with the possibility of involving external experts if necessary.

To define its policy, AC Milan involved players from the First Team and Primavera Team in a process led by the psychological-pedagogical department of the club, using meetings, interviews and surveys.

In this same spirit of sharing, AC Milan will continue to develop and shape its offering to create an increasingly inclusive and safe environment for its players and staff.

What did they say?

Elisabet Spina, head of women’s football at AC Milan, said: “The club has always attached great importance to the well-being of its players and staff, both professionally and personally. For example, we were the first Italian club to pay social benefits to our players, long before professionalism was introduced.”

Giorgio Furlani, CEO of AC Milan, added: “We are proud to present such an important project, which demonstrates once again the great attention AC Milan pays to the issues that matter to all members of the Rossoneri family.”

“We want this new step to further motivate the growth and development of the entire Club, becoming a role model at national and international level, ensuring that the world of football increasingly becomes an environment in which everyone can feel free to make important personal decisions.”