Spain’s soccer federation offers egg freezing to players
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) will provide free egg freezing and assisted reproductive technologies to its women’s national team players, referees, and employees.
RFEF president Rafael Louzán described the deal, running to 2029, as innovative for a sports federation. The agreement began as a discussion with Spanish internationals and builds on the RFEF’s efforts to improve work-life balance.
The RFEF will cover the costs of egg freezing, initially storing eggs for five years, and the agreement retroactively includes players called up for at least two matches since April of the previous year. Reyes Bellver, director of women's football, explained the goal is to protect athletes during their most fertile years and meet their reproductive needs.
Players like Olga Carmona, who scored the winning goal in the 2023 World Cup, and Patri Guijarro welcomed the deal as a way to support athletes’ personal lives alongside their careers. Some observers have argued that the RFEF should focus more on supporting players who choose to become mothers during their athletic careers, rather than providing assisted reproduction. This initiative follows similar actions by clubs like Chelsea, and comes after a period of conflict between the players and the RFEF.
The RFEF sought reform following the controversy surrounding former president Luis Rubiales, who kissed player Jenni Hermoso without her consent after the World Cup win and subsequently resigned.
