Sexist hostility
“Bottomless”: DFB captain Gwinn takes a position
May 29, 2025 – 6:06 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
DFB star Giulia Gwinn is now calling for an incident about a referee in a third division game. The Bayern player finds clear words.
The sexist hostility against referee Fabienne Michel throw a basic problem for Giulia Gwinn. “This is a prime example of the fact that tolerance is far from being as far as it should be. In my eyes, this incident is bottomless,” said the captain of the German national team in an interview with the “Editorial Network Germany”.
Michel had attacked Rot-Weiss Essen several times in the third division game against SC Verl with discriminatory calls and chants. The DFB then made a fine of 20,000 euros against the club. The association also announced that Michel also filed a complaint under civil law.
For Gwinn it is clear: Such incidents must not remain unanswered – neither in the square nor in society. “It is considered women, socially and soccer for us. You can’t accept that,” she said in the run-up to the game of the German national team this Friday (8:30 p.m. in the live ticker at T-Online) in Bremen. She finds it “incredible” that such topics were still relevant in 2025.
The full -back wants to continue to position herself clearly in such cases. “We should also be ordered in the future, even if it gets uncomfortable, even if you know that what is said will come across the headwind,” said Gwinn. It takes “strong opinions, strong personalities to advance something.”
Fabienne Michel had previously received support from a former counterpart. Referee boss Knut Kircher clearly condemned the behavior of the RWE fans. “The calls and chants were directed against the gender of the referee and were therefore discriminatory and inhuman,” said the 56-year-old.