The story of Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottirnow a player women’s youthhas been all over the world. The Icelandic footballer revealed yesterday how she won the dispute with her ex-club The Lyonwho had not paid her full salary during her maternity leave. Gunnarsdottir revealed all the details of the case, also of how the French club had warned her that if the matter reached FIFA, she would have to change teams. Lyon’s response came in the final hours.
Gunnarsdottir, Lyon’s answer
After the letter published by the footballer came the response of the French club, which defended its position: “ Olympique Lyonnaise has always been a pioneer in women’s football and accompanies sportswomen at every moment of their lives. We have always respected French law, which we sometimes find too restrictive on these matters. This is why we have always fought for better player protection on these issues. We have done everything to support Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir in her motherhood and in her return to the highest level. At her request, we agreed to grant her maternity leave in Iceland, her country of origin. When she returned to France after the birth of her daughter, we did everything to facilitate her return to a high level in conditions allowing her to better enjoy her new life as a mother, as well as her return to competition, in particular thanks to a sharp accompaniment, as was the case of Amel Majri (mid Lyon, editor’s note). This subject is particularly close to our hearts and we are proud to have accompanied her in the last months of her pregnancy until her return to the field against Soyaux, and also to have allowed her to travel with her daughter and nanny.« .
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The French club’s version of his departure
Besides defending their work, Lyon also justified the reasons for the split differently from Gunnarsdottir and eventually tried to find a place to meet the player: In recent months, for the first time, FIFA has decided to create a legal framework for female footballers who experience maternity during their career. What we are happy about. FIFA is now criticizing us for not offering Sara Björk Gunnarsdottir another job during her illness and subsequent maternity leave, while at the same time we are prohibited by law in France and the player specifically asked us to be able to return to live in Iceland, which we have agreed on. We are proud to add Sara Björk Gunnarsdottir to the Olympique Lyonnais squad. We separated for purely sporting reasons. If you would like to help us today to change French law, we would be happy to associate you with our efforts, alongside Amel Majri, so that all sportswomen can fully experience their pregnancy and their return to competition.« .
