Your perspective has changed and with it your assessment. It was only six weeks ago that Giulia Gwinn, from her role as an observer, harshly criticized the performance of the German women’s national team. The Munich player described the game as “one-dimensional” to her colleagues, who as a group “did not come together” and as a result had to say goodbye to their high goals early on at the World Cup. The elimination came in the preliminary round, which prompted Giulia Gwinn, who was not there due to injury, to demand that everyone involved “hardly analyze” their incorrect actions.
In the past few days, the 24-year-old has returned to the selection that will have to compete against Denmark in the Nations League in Viborg this Friday (6 p.m. on ARD). After three training sessions at the headquarters of the German Football Association in Frankfurt, the defender, who, in addition to defensive tenacity, contributed to ball security and offensive running strength, contributed to the success of the European Championship last year, that “a lot has been said about the past ” became. Nevertheless, she emphasized, it is now more necessary than ever to “focus on the future”.
For the DFB team, the upcoming appearances in the new competition are about qualifying for the Olympics in Paris. The unclear future of national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, who is on sick leave, accompanies the undertaking with unrest that can hardly be concealed. A decision will be made as to whether she will remain with the association once she has reported that she is healthy again after the time off, which her husband explained with symptoms of exhaustion, and the process of processing the frustrating experience continues. The (internal) criticism of their work under the stressful World Cup conditions has reached a level that makes it difficult to imagine that there can be a continuation of the commitment, which was only extended in April until mid-2025.
Gwinn was one of the winners at the successful European Championships 2022: Image: dpa
Her assistant and representative Britta Carlson announced tactical adjustments and that she wanted to “build a close bond” with the players. In Australia, there was an accusation that neither Martina Voss-Tecklenburg nor Britta Carlson had managed to convincingly convey playful plans to the team. The communication between the coaching duo was also characterized by disturbing noises, which were carefully noted in the dressing room.
“We are willing to tackle new tasks,” said Giulia Gwinn about the initial situation, and she only casually addressed the speculation surrounding Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. The “final processing” only makes sense “when Martina is back”. Alexandra Popp, the captain, avoided making a commitment to Martina Voss-Tecklenburg at the official press conference on Thursday after arriving in Denmark.
“Convince people with better football”
Giulia Gwinn left no doubt about her willingness to help reverse the trend. Last October she suffered a torn cruciate ligament. The same knee injury put the Allgäu native out of action in 2020. And the experience of how to cope with setbacks without losing faith in the positive came in handy during the renewed forced break, which required patience in hospitals, doctor’s offices and physiotherapists. “I feel ready for anything,” said Giulia Gwinn, “confidence in my body is there again.”
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Without her intervention on the right of the back four, the German defense developed into a problem area at the World Cup, which contributed to the missteps against Colombia (1:2) and South Korea (1:1). “As an athlete, it’s always nice to have the chance to turn it around after a negative experience,” said Giulia Gwinn. It is necessary to “convince people through better football”. She herself, she added, “is looking forward to everything that comes.” Many others in her environment are not yet that far along.
