According to a report by Reuters, under new rules approved by FIFA on Friday, female women footballers are to be guaranteed maternity leave, the president of the global soccer body, Gianni Infantino said.
Under the new rules, approved by the FIFA Decision-Making Council on Friday, 14 weeks of maternity leave will be provided to a player and her club will be expected to reintegrate and provide sufficient medical care afterward.
“If we are serious about boosting the women’s game, we have to look at all these aspects,” Infantino told reporters.
“Female players need to have stability in their careers and if they take maternity leave, they should not have to worry about when they are ready to play again.”
The rules will be integrated into the FIFA Status and Movement of Players Regulations and will be applied internationally.
Infantino said new rules would also be enforced to give coaches more stability, but no further specifics were immediately available.
“Coaches develop how we play and inspire the players, they too need job security and we have established minimum standards to protect them,” he said.
The Council also agreed to hold an additional edition in Japan in 2021 of its old-style Club World Cup, consisting of seven teams, including the champions of each continent.
A new-style competition, featuring 24 players, is set to be played in China in 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic having been pushed back one year.
“We will have the best club competition in the world,” said Infantino.
Source: Reuters