AC Milan becomes first club in Europe to change pregnancy protocols.

AC Milan, who play in the Serie A Femminiline in Italy, have recently announced that any pregnant players or staff will be guaranteed a contract renewal if their contract is coming to an end.

These protocols align with the larger push for better rights for players, following FIFA’s introduction of new standards in May to better protect pregnant female footballers.

One of the safeguards for pregnant players and staff the club will provide would be an automatic one-year contract extension. If a player’s contract is scheduled to end during the season that the pregnancy began, the player will get the same financial terms from the deal.

In addition, the team will be offering childcare throughout sporting events (e.g.: home and away games, cup games, games played abroad). This would cover the cost of suitable living environments, any travel expenses, and support for children of the player who carried the pregnancy or is the only guardian, together with one companion to help out. The club will also offer access to professionals in physio-pedagogical physiotherapy and nutritional areas.

Players will also continue to benefit from protections related to pregnancy mandatory salaries, and return to activity as stipulated by current rules, especially FIFA guidelines and the club’s internal regulations.

To develop this policy, the club has engaged players from its First Team and Primavera Team through a process led by the club’s psycho-pedagogical area, incorporating meetings, interviews and surveys. In this spirit of collaboration, the club shared that it remains committed to evolving its offerings to ensure an increasingly inclusive and safe environment for players and staff.

The regulations imposed on FIFA’s 211 member federations a mandatory maternity leave of at least 14 weeks paid – at least eight weeks after the birth, at a minimum of two thirds of the players contracted salary.

According to the 2017 FIFPRO Global Employment Report, a global study on working conditions in women’s football, only 2% of female players interviewed across four continents had children, and 47% stated that they would leave football if they were to start a family.