Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir, the captain of the Icelandic national team, on Tuesday shared insights into her landmark legal victory regarding maternity pay against her former team, Olympique Lyonnais.
In a personal account published on The Player’s Tribune, Gunnarsdóttir publicly disclosed for the first time how she successfully challenged Olympique Lyonnais at the FIFA Tribunal after the club failed to pay her salary following her pregnancy announcement in 2021.
“This issue goes beyond just my case! It’s a critical message to all clubs and players that those who become pregnant during their careers have rights and entitlements,” Gunnarsdóttir wrote on Twitter.
In May 2022, the FIFA Tribunal ruled in Gunnarsdóttir’s favor, ordering Lyon to pay $88,867 (€82,094.80) in overdue wages, plus 5% interest.
FIFPRO, the global union representing footballers that supported Gunnarsdóttir, described the ruling as “the first of its kind since FIFA’s maternity regulations were introduced in January 2021.” The organization emphasized the importance of implementing and enforcing these regulations at a national level.
US soccer star Megan Rapinoe criticized Olympique Lyonnais on Twitter: “This is completely unacceptable from OL, OL Féminin. The culture at OL in France needs serious improvement. You talk a lot about supporting women, but this doesn’t add up. I urge you to be a club that consistently supports women, not just a club that did once.”
Olympique Lyonnais responded to CNN, stating, “We have made every effort to support Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir during her maternity leave and her return to top-level football.”
The club continued, “We have always adhered to French law, which we find sometimes restrictive. We have advocated for better protections for players in these matters.
FIFA has criticized us for not offering Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir alternative employment during her sick leave and maternity leave, even though French law prohibits such offers and the player specifically requested to return to Iceland, which we agreed to.”
The club concluded, “We are proud of having had Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir in our squad. Our separation was purely for sporting reasons.” Gunnarsdóttir departed from Olympique Lyonnais in 2022 and signed with Italian club Juventus in July.