The pregnant national player Melanie Leupolz hopes after the birth of her child to be able to play football again professionally.
“If the association and the environment are there for you and sponsors don’t let you down, then a return is absolutely possible. I want to be a role model and show you don’t have to choose between family and career,” said the 28-year-old from Chelsea in an interview “t-online”.
Positive news on pregnancy
The example of Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria shows “in an impressive way that it works”. The 34-year-old tennis player and mother of two is causing a sensation with her triumph at the traditional tournament.
Leupolz recently announced her pregnancy and her absence from the European Championships in England. The 75-time national player was European champion in 2013 with the DFB selection and Olympic champion in 2016.
She only got positive news about her pregnancy. “National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg told me that that was the best reason to cancel such a tournament,” said Leupolz. However, some legal questions remain unresolved.
Some legal questions unresolved
“The field is completely new territory. When I found out about my pregnancy, I first googled what rights competitive athletes have in such cases – but you can’t find anything,” said the former SC Freiburg and FC Bayern Munich player. “I’m the first mother-to-be at Chelsea. FIFA published new regulations about a year ago that include protection against maternity and dismissal. Before that, clubs could simply fire pregnant players.”
Now you get part of your salary on paper, at least for a few weeks. “I honestly haven’t looked into it that much because I’m getting far better support from Chelsea than what they should be offering,” said Leupolz.