On April 25, 2025, the second SOPROS Conference titled “Athletes’ Social Protection in Europe: From National Practice to European Coordination?” took place in Zagreb, Croatia. Hosted at Hotel Academia and organised by the Institute of European Sport Development in cooperation with the University of Rijeka, the event brought together experts, athletes, and stakeholders from across Europe to discuss the urgent need to improve social protection for elite athletes. As an official partner of the Erasmus+ SOPROS project, the European Olympic Academies (EOA), represented by Bastian Grueger, were again actively involved in the event.
From experience to policy: Insights and Realities
The conference opened with a warm welcome from Croatia’s Ministry of Tourism and Sport. In her address, State Secretary Martina Jeričević underlined the crucial role that governments must play in ensuring safety nets for athletes, particularly during periods when they are not in the public spotlight.
An introductory presentation by Professor Jürgen Mittag and Lorenz Fiege set the scene, outlining the SOPROS project’s goals and current findings. This was followed by Croatian Olympian and Paralympian Sandra Paovic, who shared her journey from elite table tennis player to survivor of a life-changing accident. Thanks to her status as a professional player in France, she had access to the national social security system—an entitlement not widely available to athletes in her home country. Her story highlighted the very real challenges athletes face: without formal contracts or robust national systems, fundamental rights like healthcare, maternity leave, or unemployment support often remain elusive.
Voices from the field: legal gaps and emerging good practices
Two panel discussions explored the current landscape of social protection for athletes across Europe and examined opportunities within the European Model of Sport. Distinguished speakers shared their expertise on legal frameworks, policy developments, and the importance of collective action.
The first panel consisted of:
- Martina Jeričević (Croatian Ministry of Tourism & Sport)
- Laura Montvilaite (Lithuanian Athletes Ombudsperson)
- Milos Milenkovic (NOC Serbia)
- Nik Berger (KADA, Austria)
- Gordan Kozulj (former Croatian swimmer and World Championship medallist)
The second panel featured:
- Deena Blacking (The Cyclists’ Alliance)
- Walter Palmer (World Players’ Association & European Athletes and Players Association)
- Erica Puppo (FIFPRO Europe)
- Simona Kustec (University of Ljubljana, former Slovenian Minister of Sport)
While the conference and panels were marked by a rich variety of perspectives and experiences, some examples vividly brought to life the core issues at stake. Erica Puppo, for example, presented FIFPRO’s pioneering work on maternity protections, outlining how the landmark 2021 FIFA regulations laid the groundwork for stronger parental rights, which were further expanded with the 2024 amendments to include adoption leave, extended paternity rights, and provisions for national team players. She highlighted the Sara Bjork Gunnarsdóttir case as a key milestone that demonstrated the real-world impact of these reforms and underlined FIFPRO’s ongoing efforts to strengthen protections across all levels of professional sport.
Deena Blacking spotlighted the complexities faced by professional cyclists, many of whom navigate multinational contracts and freelance statuses. She illustrated the issue with real-life scenarios showing how athletes can fall through the cracks of national welfare systems, stressing that current protection frameworks must evolve to reflect the transnational and highly mobile nature of modern elite sport. Walter Palmer emphasised that collective action – through strong unions and social dialogue mechanisms – is essential to ensure athletes’ rights are respected, while Simona Kustec discussed the need to rethink traditional governance structures in sport, suggesting that athlete representation and formal social protections must be strengthened within the European sports model.
In addition to these examples, the diverse expertise and experiences of all panelists greatly enriched the discussions, offering practical insights into both national and international challenges and best practices. We extend our sincere thanks to all speakers and contributors for sharing their valuable knowledge and experiences, which made this conference a significant step forward in the dialogue on athletes’ social protection.
takeaway: Coordination is key – data is crucial
A clear message resonated throughout the day: athletes’ social protection is a fundamental human right that requires coordinated action, clear legal frameworks, and broad awareness. The challenges are complex, but with shared commitment, sustainable solutions are within reach.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Professor Vanja Smokvina and his team at the University of Rijeka for the organisation of the conference. Your dedication ensured a welcoming and productive environment that advanced the European dialogue on athletes’ social protection. Our thanks also go to the many (online) participants from the EOA network who joined the event. We hope everyone gained valuable insights from this vital exchange.
Make your voice count – Athlete & Stakeholder Surveys still open!
To ensure the SOPROS project can deliver meaningful recommendations based on real-world needs, all athletes and relevant organisations are urged to complete the ongoing surveys:
Your responses will directly inform the development of practical policy guidance and support systems for athletes across Europe.
About the project
SOPROS (Social Protection in Olympic Sports) is a multi-stakeholder Erasmus+ project coordinated by the German Sport University Cologne. It aims to assess, evaluate, and improve social protection for elite athletes in Olympic sports. Although athletes are entitled to state protection like any other citizen, their unique employment status often leads to unclear regulations affecting critical areas such as minimum income, retirement pensions, and maternity protection. Together with its partners – including the EOA – the project is working toward a future where every athlete can rely on fair and comprehensive protection before, during, and after their sporting career.
The SOPROS consortium includes the German Sport University Cologne, the University of Rijeka, the Sport Evolution Alliance, Edge Hill University, the Institute for Sport Governance, the European Athletes and Player Association (EU Athletes), the European Olympic Academies (EOA), the European Association of Sport Employers (EASE), and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
More information: www.dshs-koeln.de/iesf/sopros
