GOTHENBURG, Sweden: BK Haecken midfielder Elin Rubensson has called on Swedish football to support players who decide to become pregnant during their elite career and offer them greater security.
Less than a year after the birth of her son Frans, the Swedish national team player Rubensson was back and pulled the thread when her team lost 5-1 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on a snowy night in Gothenburg on Thursday.
That result ended Haecken’s chances of qualifying for the knockout stages, but Rubensson is keen to use his platform to push for change.
“When I got pregnant there was no pregnancy policy. I have a relatively long contract with two years left so I was not so worried, but if I had a contract that was about to end I would have been worried, because you do not know what will happen, “she told Reuters in an interview.
The 28-year-old said that players discussed the situation and suggested that the contracts should either be frozen or that they be automatically extended in the event of a player becoming pregnant.
“A pregnancy policy is being created to provide security so that we know what is happening, and (the players’ union) FIFPro has created one at European level,” said Rubensson.
“The Swedish federation does the same thing but they are not really finished yet. They have done it since I came up to the elite level, and it is very bad that it is not finished yet – it should be given that it is in our contracts.”
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Rubensson, with a ceiling of 70 times that of his country, received 10 percent of his salary from his club, together with a Swedish social assistance benefit that was paid to those who could not perform physical work during pregnancy.
Rubensson revealed that she and her partner Filip decided to have a child when the covid-19 pandemic put elite-level sports on ice in 2020.
“We felt ready, and then came the corona and the Olympics were postponed, the league was pushed forward, everything was very unclear and we felt ready, so we took the opportunity,” she said.
“We have always wanted to have children relatively early, or more so that I have not wanted to wait until after my career, so it has always been a question of when it would fit. There have been (international) championships every year and at the same time. I felt that football could not completely control everything. “
With Filip on parental leave, Rubensson has returned to his career.
“I feel that I am almost physically better than I was before the pregnancy. I am breaking records on the running tests and I noticed a new top speed when we played away against Bayern Munich,” she said.
Rubensson is well aware of the pay gap between men’s and women’s football and hopes that she can be an example for other players who are considering getting pregnant.
“There is a risk that you sacrifice your career, partly because there is no security and also because you do not know how you will react physically after a pregnancy,” she said.
“It may be that your view changes completely after you have children, that you do not want to be part of the elite. There are many things that male players do not have to think about in the same way. That is what we (women) talking about.”