The European Championship should be her first tournament as a DFB captain, but Giulia Gwinn injured herself early. And yet it is more important than ever.
Kim Steinke reports from Zurich
Before the European Championship quarter-finals against France, the German team came together for the usual circle. The players, coaches and other members listened to the words of their captain: Giulia Gwinn. In training clothes and with a determined look, she swore her team on the tournament’s most important game in Switzerland to date – with success.
Germany won 6: 5 in the penalty shootout and reached the European Championship semi-final. And although Gwinn can no longer be on the pitch after her inner ligament injury, she gave the role of a captain a completely new meaning. Because being captain means more than just wearing the bandage on the pitch.
The picture of the team circle fits a story that should have started very differently. Gwinn took over the captain’s armband from Alexandra Popp, who resigned last year. The European Championship was of particular importance for the player of FC Bayern and should become her first as a captain. In the run -up to the tournament, she stood up to the public, the interest in her, and Gwinn became the face of the German team.
But after only 36 minutes everything seemed to be over: In the European Championship opening (2-0), Gwinn threw himself in a shot of Poland’s goalkeeper Ewa Pajor at the last moment-and seriously injured. Although she tried again, she had to be replaced after 40 minutes. The diagnosis only hours later: Gwinn suffered an interior hinges and is expected to fail for several weeks. The European Championship was over for them – at least sporty.
For the team it meant a bitter loss on and next to the square. After the Poland game, Jule Brand spoke of a “shock”, Janina Minge, who took over the captain’s armband, described the loss as “brutal”. Laura Freiegel made it clear: “It is extremely bitter. Giuli is primarily an important person for us.”
On crutches and with a knee chalice, Gwinn first went to Munich. “Football, you let you fly and sometimes fall very deep,” she commented on her injury on Instagram. However, the goal remains “the same”, says Gwinn. “Now it means: bundle energy, realign it and give everything for this team. From outside. For inside. All or not at all.”
Before the second group game against Denmark (2-1), she sent a message to the German team via Instagram: “I believe in you !!” A reaction was not long in coming: At the team photo in front of the duel, Elisa Sense and Klara Bühl held a jersey of her captain with number seven into the cameras, and all DFB players wore a tape on the wrist with gwinn’s initials and her number “GG7”. Numerous supporters in the Basel St. Jakob-Park also addressed words to Gwinn on a banner in the curve: “We together for Giuli.”
From all over the country there was encouragement – many regretted Gwinn’s failure and wished her a quick recovery. And although she would be missing on the pitch, the long-time captain Alexandra Popp recalled that not everything would be over: “Giuli will continue to be fully there. With a crying eye. Verbal support, lively exchange with the team-you can also influence from the outside,” said Popp of the “Bild” newspaper. Gwinn’s reaction after the Job message shows “how Giuli developed and that she has the right position as a captain,” emphasized Popp, who ended her DFB career in the previous year.