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Just a few months before the Women's World Cup last week, 28 American players filed a class action suit against the US Football Federation, declaring "institutionalized gender-based discrimination", according to which the world champions in title have existed for years.
The complaint, filed in a federal court in Los Angeles on March 8 – International Women's Day – intensified the long-standing dispute between the team and the federation over pay equity and labor market conditions. said, "the players have always been paid less than their male counterparts."
Rapinoe, winner of the FIFA World Cup in 2015, told CNN Sport that she was confident that her team would succeed, adding that the USWNT was happy to "clear the way as much as possible" for the other countries fighting for gender equality.
"To take legal action, make sure your claims are strong," said Rapinoe, 33, who was speaking in Paris at the launch of the World Cup kit. USWNT.
"I have been part of this team for a long time and we are extremely organized and united, we think the timing is right for him and we have a very solid case.
"For us, it's just another step forward.This is obviously not a thing we're going to give up.We will fight till the end and that's the next step that we had to go through. "
Coup de coeur of the world cup
USWNT, the dominant power in women's football, is the first world team and the favorite to win this summer's Women's World Cup in France, which would give a fourth title in eight tournaments. In comparison, the men of the country are currently ranked 25th in the world and have failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
US Soccer has not yet commented on the lawsuit that also seeks to obtain compensation for any player who has appeared for the United States since February 2015.
Rapinoe was one of five prominent actors who lodged a complaint in 2016 with the Commission for Equal Opportunities in Employment (EEOC), alleging wage discrimination. The athletes said the men's national team had unfairly earned more than it did.
The players and their federation finally accepted a settlement in 2017. Although the terms of the agreement, which runs until 2021, were not disclosed, it would have included increases in the salary of base and match bonuses, better daily allowances, better travel allowances and financial support for pregnant players.
However, American footballers argue that they always receive less pay from their employers though they are forced to play more games than the men's team and win more matches.
Frustrated by the lack of progress regarding their pay discrimination complaint, the EEOC granted the players a letter of right to sue.
"We have tried to follow the EEOC process and make sure the federation comes to the table, not really in negotiation but in mediation," said Rapinoe. "They did not really want to do that.
"For now, it's the best step we can take to place ourselves in the strongest position to continue this fight."
Rapinoe, the first professional white athlete to kneel in the US national anthem to support Colin Kaepernick, said the team had not made the decision lightly with the World Cup on the horizon.
"This is not something we were ready to give up or float in the ether," said the Californian.
"We also felt that he was far enough away from being able to handle the distraction, focus on the football World Cup and focus fully on the World Cup, obviously, it takes a million dollars." 39 years to do something in court. [so] it's not like something is happening very fast.
"No one understands better than us the power and the importance of winning and getting things done, so this team has always had distractions.
"We are used to this and we have a group of very experienced veterans who can guide the youngest players, and here at the World Cup we will not talk about it every day."
Rapinoe added that the stars of USWNT were also motivated by the feeling of not fighting for themselves alone.
"We have a very visceral understanding of our position in the biggest fight, we feel that every time we win, other teams also win and the other players can really enjoy success. To be among those who race ahead. " try to clear the way as much as possible for anyone. "
Alex Morgan, World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist, said that achieving equal pay would be as good as anything she has done in the field.
"I dreamed of playing football and doing it at the highest level, but when I will be retired and older, I will come back to the legacy that I will leave and feel proud of the brand that I have. I have on the sport, "Morgan, who with Rapinoe filed the 2016 suit against US Soccer, told CNN Sport.
"At some point we have to take a stand and realize that we deserve true equality.
"Once we all made the decision together, it was very easy because it's the right thing to do, it's the next step."
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