“Not fair to us” — Alisha Lehmann slams Gender pay-gap

Swiss football sensation Alisha Lehmann has reignited the conversation around gender inequality in sports following her summer move to Juventus, where she joined her boyfriend, Douglas Luiz, in what’s being dubbed the “couples transfer.”

Both left Aston Villa for the Serie A giants, and while their careers may now be in sync geographically, the massive pay gap between them has drawn attention to the continued disparity between male and female athletes.

Alisha Lehmann, whose annual salary is reportedly around $200,000 (£150,000), has voiced her frustration with the wage gap compared to Luiz’s staggering $9.2 million per year earnings.

Read More:

Adult Site Tempts Alisha Lehmann With ‘Huge’ Offer

“It’s unfair… We do the same job, but he earns 100,000 times more than me,” she revealed in a recent interview, underlining how stark the difference remains even in 2024.

Lehmann’s dismay is not just personal—her words echo the sentiments of many female athletes globally, who have long fought for equal pay, recognition, and respect in their respective sports.

Despite her incredible on-field talents and rising stardom, Lehmann finds herself facing the same economic inequalities that have plagued women’s sports for decades. Her social media influence, however, tells a different story.

With over 17 million Instagram followers—surpassing even Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer, who has 12.7 million—Lehmann has become a social media powerhouse, turning heads off the pitch as well.

Her popularity has attracted high-profile sponsorship deals, with brands like Prime and EA Sports keen to partner with her. These endorsements no doubt supplement her football earnings, but the pay gap in her primary profession remains glaring.

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lehmann shared her views on the issue:

“It’s something that affects me because I’m a woman. There’s still a long way to go on the path we’re on because there may never be equal pay.”

Despite the growing commercial success of women’s football, the financial rewards for female players lag significantly behind their male counterparts. Lehmann’s own situation highlights this inequality even more sharply, considering her and Luiz’s similar status as international stars playing for top-tier clubs.

Lehmann’s outspokenness has sparked online debate, with some fans criticizing her stance, while others applaud her for addressing an issue that many female athletes shy away from. The 24-year-old striker is no stranger to the spotlight, having built a massive fanbase not just for her football prowess but also for her vibrant personality and engaging presence on social media.

Still, Alisha Lehmann insists that, despite her fame, she leads a regular life. “I live a normal life. I go home, I cook, I do the same things as everyone else,” she said, pushing back against assumptions that her celebrity status exempts her from the challenges faced by working women everywhere.

Since joining Juventus, Lehmann has already made an impact, scoring in one of her four appearances and helping the team maintain a perfect start to the Serie A season.