Overview

• Almuth Schult, retired German goalkeeper and mother of three, attributes failed club negotiations to biases against mother-players in Europe.
• Schult revealed that clubs offered her only reserve roles, reflecting doubts about her competitiveness as a mother returning to professional football.
• She contrasted her limited opportunities in Europe with the structured support she experienced during her U.S. stints with Angel City FC and Kansas City Current.
• Despite DFB’s adoption of FIFA maternity protections in early 2025, Schult argues that European clubs lack clear reintegration policies for mother-players.
• Expecting her fourth child this autumn, Schult has called for cultural and policy reforms to normalize motherhood in professional women’s football.