(Reuters) – Chelsea midfielder Melanie Leupolz has nothing but praise for her club after the support they provided during her pregnancy, including hiring specialists for training.
Players in the English Women’s Super League receive maternity cover as part of an agreement between the Football Association and Professional Footballers Association that came into effect from the 2022-23 season.
When Leupolz announced her pregnancy in early 2022 the deal was not effective, but the German international is grateful for the support she received from Chelsea and her coach Emma Hayes.
“Chelsea were doing much more than they had to do and that’s why I’m really thankful,” Leupolz told Sky Sports.
“Emma (Hayes) has a child herself and she knows what’s important.
“We had a catch-up every two weeks, talked about my training programme, what I was doing in Germany and after birth, how I can get back to my strength and fitness.
“Other clubs should take Chelsea as an idol and ask questions about how we did it because, in my experience, they were super.”
The 28-year-old signed a contract extension in January, something the player says gave her peace of mind, as Chelsea had offered her the deal months earlier while she was recovering in Germany.
“When you look on the internet, there’s no information about athletes who are getting pregnant and giving birth and coming back, so it was really hard … But they offered a contract straight away,” she said.
Leupolz has made four appearances for Chelsea since giving birth in October and is aiming to play for Germany at this year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Ed Osmond)
