A debut at 16, multiple Bundesliga titles, named Best Young Player at a World Cup and now captain of Germany with more than 50 caps at just 25 –at first glance Giulia Gwinn appears to have enjoyed the smoothest of footballing ascendencies.
But an anterior cruciate ligament injury which ruled her out of World Cup 2023 was her second such injury in less than a decade as a pro. Rehabilitation was long and tough both times. But the strength shown in her recovery was equally evident in her debut as permanent skipper, as she drove her team to a 4-1 Nations League win over Austria, adding an assist.
“Giulia is an exemplary player who demonstrates great mentality and personality both on and off the pitch,” said her national team coach Christian Wück, for whom the game was a first home win, ahead of the match.
“The whole coaching staff has gained incredible faith in Giulia in a very short space of time. I therefore have no doubt in my mind that she will be a fantastic captain.”
Outspoken when required
While her resilience and ability as a marauding fullback are not in doubt, Gwinn’s character has come increasingly to the fore in a changing national team. Gwinn publicly defended her Bayern Munich teammate goalkeeper Ena Mahmutovic, after her error contributed to a loss to Italy in December, but she’s also unafraid to crack the whip when she deems it necessary.
“I think you sometimes have to touch on sore points,” she told the club’s website last year. “I’ve grown into a role in which I can talk about uncomfortable things.”
This much was clear when she claimed her side, and Gwinn herself, played “scaredy-cat football” in a Nations League semifinal loss to France in 2024.
Germany were again a little timid in the first half against neighbors Austria and are yet to fully adjust to life after former captain Alexandra Popp, goalkeeper Merle Frohms and attacking veteran Svenja Huth. With the Euros in Switzerland set for July, time is running short for the new generation to gel.
“I think it helps us as a team when younger players take on responsibility – off the pitch but in matches in particular,” Gwinn said.
“That shouldn’t be limited to one or two players. I also show that in the national team with my (taking of) penalties: I lead the way, I don’t hide. Those who duck away don’t achieve anything.”
Injuries led to improvement
Despite her relative youth, Gwinn has been through a lot in footballing terms. Named the best youngster at World Cup 2019 and with a move to Bayern from Freiburg already sealed, she looked to be one of the rising stars of the women’s game. But the first of those ACL injuries came along soon after.
She returned to be named in the team of the tournament as Germany made the final of Euro 2022 in England, losing to the hosts – only to suffer the same injury a few months later.
“At first you feel the same shock and somehow also a kind of panic when you are lying on the ground with a serious injury,” she told Forbes in 2023. “That doesn’t change the second time around. But through experience, a lot of what happens then can simply be better understood.”
Finding the extra few percent
But Gwinn, who grew up in the south of Germany and started her career with Freiburg, made the most of her time away from the pitch.
“Of course, such a serious injury changes you because – as stupid as it may sound – it makes you grow. You have time to work much more in the physical and mental area. You can focus on issues that you don’t have time for in your everyday football life,” she told Bayern’s website.
Those changes have encompassed using strobe glasses, which flash light on and off, to sharpen her perception, and an increased focus on mental health and diet.
“These are all things that can give you a few extra percent in your performance – and every percentage point counts,” Germany’s player of the year in 2024 said.
Work still to do
For all that the win over Austria, which came after falling behind early, will boost confidence for the emerging new core, it was the introduction of the two oldest players that turned the game.
“We made a lot of easy mistakes and lost all the duels. I wasn’t happy at all, and neither were the girls. Our substitutions worked this time, and thank God all the measures we took were good for the team – and that was the key today,” said Wück of the impact of 30-year-old midfielders Sara Däbritz and Linda Dallmann.
There are just a handful of games to find the right blend before a Euros group that incudes Poland, Denmark and Sweden. Despite her injury history, you get the sense Gwinn will want to do much more than just ensure she stays healthy this time.
Edited by: Chuck Penfold
