AC MILAN has made history as the first elite European football club to implement an innovative maternity policy for its female players and staff.
This groundbreaking policy guarantees automatic contract renewals for players who become pregnant during their final season, the club announced on Aug 2.
The initiative is aimed at creating a supportive environment for female players and technical staff, allowing them to make significant life decisions with confidence.
Elisabet Spina, head of women’s football at AC Milan, stated: “The Club has always shown great attention to the well-being of its female players and staff members, both professionally and personally.”
“For example, we were the first Italian Club to contribute social security benefits to our players, well before the introduction of professionalism.”
“We further demonstrated it through the #WeAllAreFootball manifesto to mitigate gender conflict, which led to the definition of principles, initiatives, and concrete interventions on the Club’s infrastructure.
“We are now about to start a new season in which we will work to achieve important goals, both on and off the field: we are excited to approach it by introducing our innovative policy,“ she said.
The new policy not only ensures automatic contract renewals but also includes a one-year extension on the same economic terms for players whose contracts are set to expire during their pregnancy.
Additionally, it provides support with childcare during sports activities and covers travel expenses, including flights and accommodation, for the players’ children and one companion.
Furthermore, the players will continue to benefit from protections related to pregnancy, mandatory remuneration, and return to activity as stipulated by current rules, including FIFA guidelines, AIC collective agreements, and the Club’s internal regulations.
The club also offers its players access to professionals in psycho-pedagogical, physiotherapy, and nutritional areas, and can involve external experts when necessary.
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 its players and staff members.
