The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has introduced a new initiative providing fertility support to female footballers and referees. Through a partnership with the Tambre clinic, the federation aims to offer athletes more flexibility in planning their personal lives alongside their professional careers, marking what officials describe as a pioneering development for women’s sports in Spain.
Under the terms of the agreement, which remains in effect until 2029, the RFEF will fully cover the costs of egg-freezing treatments. Additionally, the federation will provide a range of benefits for various fertility services, including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), specifically for international players who have received at least two call-ups.
Spanish national team players Olga Carmona and Patri Guijarro attended the launch, expressing support for the program. “We are very happy to have reached this agreement, to have one more option to decide how and when to choose to become a mother,” Carmona stated. Guijarro emphasized that the measure is part of a broader effort to ensure that motherhood does not serve as a barrier to success in elite sports, noting that players have long campaigned for better work-life balance.
“Ultimately, it’s a very positive agreement because it’s true that for all these years we’ve been fighting to achieve a better work-life balance for mothers,” Guijarro said. She added that the ability to pursue a career while raising a family is a significant step forward, noting that athletes now feel their concerns are being heard.
Reyes Bellver Alonso, the RFEF’s director of women’s football, highlighted the federation’s ongoing commitment to maternity rights and contract protections. She noted that football has made significant strides in recent years, including the elimination of anti-pregnancy clauses in contracts. “If there is one area where work has been done on maternity rights, the protection of women, the protection of contracts and work-life balance in women’s sport, it is football,” she said. Bellver Alonso also suggested that the current public discussion surrounding these issues helps raise their profile in other professional sectors.
The federation clarified that the initiative is not intended to discourage active players from having children. Instead, it serves as a supplementary measure to existing policies, such as support systems that allow mothers to have their children present during training camps, tournaments, and away matches.
Despite the RFEF’s framing of the policy, the announcement has sparked debate among labor and equality advocates. Olympic bronze medallist and triple jumper Ana Peleteiro criticized the move in a social media video, labeling it “deeply sexist.” Meanwhile, the CCOO trade union argued that the primary focus should remain on broader workplace protections and safeguarding pregnancy during active competition rather than solely on fertility funding. The report also notes that the deal with Tambre will be in place until 2029. The report also notes that “I think that we often focus on the criticism and fail to convey how beneficial and pioneering these developments are, and the struggles the players have also gone through.”.
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