Swedish football star fights for more rights for women
Career or family?
That was the question Elin Rubensson.
Only 18 months after giving birth to his son Frans is the football star “shocked“to go to England with the Swedish team at the UEFA Women’s European Championship 2022. So shocked in fact that she could not even bring herself to pay attention to the squad’s message earlier this month.
“I was so nervous. I could not look,” she said Sportbladet.
Instead of setting the head coach Peter Gerhardssons long-awaited message, she instead sat down on her sofa and watched the Swedish children’s TV series Bolibompa – probably to her son Fran’s delight.
– It feels absolutely fantastic [to be picked for the squad]. It’s something I’ve been fighting very hard for all along really, especially since pregnancy. It’s been my big goal, so it’s a lot of fun. ”
Fringe, football and fitness
Rubensson and her husband Filip decided in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020 that, with elite sports on a break, it was a better time than anyone else to try to have a child.
“We have always wanted to have children relatively early, so I have not wanted to wait until after my career. There have been (international) championships every year and at the same time I felt that football can not completely control everything, she says. Reuters.
“We felt ready, and then came covid-19 and the Olympics were postponed, the league was pushed forward, everything was very unclear and we felt ready, so we took the opportunity.”
The pressure is often on professionals to return to full match condition as soon as possible after childbirth – despite the stress that pregnancy can expose one’s body to.
Since her husband Filip stayed on paternity leave, Elin was able to return to training with BK Häcken in February 2021 – just two months after giving birth to the child Frans.
And with the help of her club, she felt that her condition was better than ever after the birth.
“I feel that I am almost physically better than I was before the pregnancy. I break records in the running tests and I noticed a new top speed when we played away against Bayern Munich. sa.
How to stop Sweden
After finishing second in Tokyo last year as second in the 2019 World Cup – it would be almost stupid to underestimate Sweden on its way into this year’s competition.
And if there is one thing that this site does not lack, it is self-confidence.
Rubensson’s national team sent waves across the continent earlier this year when they teamed up with their jersey sponsor to release an extensive 34-page guide about how to stop them.
It is in this manual that indicates Rubensson’s absolute inclusion in the squad.
From her ability to play in the middle and on the right back to her passes and runs per match – Sweden gives its opponents advice and recommends that they find ways to limit Rubensson’s length and direction of passes while covering one of her. deep runs into the final third.
fighting for change
Rubensson knew she wanted children and was tormented by an ultimatum that too many female professionals know: Career or family.
“There is a risk that you sacrifice your career, partly because there is no security and also because you do not know how you will react physically after a pregnancy.” she said last year.
“When I got pregnant there was no pregnancy policy. I have a relatively long contract with two years left so I was not so worried, but if I had a contract that is expiring I would have been worried, because you do not know what that will happen. “
After receiving only 10% of his club salary during his pregnant months, the 29-year-old uses lessons from his own experience to drive change in his home country and calls for greater support and security for players who are considering starting a family.