"I earn 100 times less" - Alisha Lehmann compares her earnings to boyfriend Douglas Luiz and slams wage disparity despite playing for the same club

Aston Villa Women's forward Alisha Lehmann has hit out at the gender pay gap in football, revealing that she earns 100 times less than her boyfriend, Douglas Luiz, who plays for the men's team.

Lehmann, who has been capped 27 times by Switzerland, said she was "disappointed" by the disparity in wages, despite playing for the same club.

“It’s disappointing to see such a big difference in pay between men and women footballers,” Lehmann told The Telegraph. “We’re both professional footballers, we both play for Aston Villa, but I earn 100 times less than him.”

Lehmann’s comments come amid growing calls for equal pay in football. In 2019, the US women’s national team filed a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation, alleging gender discrimination in pay and working conditions.

The lawsuit was settled in February 2022, with the US women’s team receiving a $24 million settlement and a commitment from US Soccer to equalize pay between the men’s and women’s teams.

However, the gender pay gap in football remains a global issue. A study by FIFPro, the global players’ union, found that women footballers earn on average 23% less than men.

Lehmann’s comments have sparked a debate about the gender pay gap in football. Some have argued that the disparity in wages is due to the different levels of revenue generated by men’s and women’s football.

However, others have argued that the gender pay gap is a result of sexism and discrimination. Lehmann herself has said that she believes the gender pay gap is “unfair” and that women footballers deserve to be paid the same as men.

The gender pay gap in football is a complex issue with no easy solutions. However, Lehmann’s comments have helped to raise awareness of the issue and have sparked a debate about how to achieve equal pay in football.