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The fans voted for Giulia Gwinn as the Germany Women’s Player of the Year for 2024. The 25-year-old scored eight goals and recorded three assists in 18 international matches over the past year. The FC Bayern defender spoke to DFB.de about the last 12 months and her aims for 2025.

DFB.de: Giulia Gwinn, 2024 is coming to an end. Around 50,000 fans took part in the vote, which was carried on out on the DFB-Frauen’s Instagram account in collaboration with the Fan Club Nationalmannschaft, that saw you named as the Germany Women’s Player of the Year 2024. What does this award mean to you?

Giulia Gwinn: It makes me extremely proud. It’s a real honour because you have to perform well consistently over a long period of time to win it. The fact that the fans decide who wins makes it even more special.

DFB.de: This is the second time that you’ve won this award, having also done so in 2019. A lot has happened in the five years between…

Gwinn: That’s why it’s also special for me. It shows that I’m back after my two serious injuries and I can perform at the highest level once again.

DFB.de: Would you describe 2024 as the perfect comeback year for yourself then?

Gwinn: Yes, you could definitely call it that. I played in all 18 Germany games and it just feels great to be regularly involved again. We had some real challenges with the national team – we successfully adapted to the change of coach, qualified for the Olympic Games and then won the bronze medal there.

DFB.de: Was Paris the highlight of a busy year for you?

Gwinn: Definitely. The majority of us hadn’t been to the Olympics before and it honestly exceeded all our expectations.

DFB.de: You scored a penalty to secure a 1-0 win over Spain.

Gwinn: I was pleased to be able to contribute to our success. At the same time though, it was equally important for me for us to experience the special and unique nature of the Olympics. We spent a lot of time travelling around the country at the start of the tournament because our games were all over France, but we were then able to spend our last few days with the other athletes in Paris and that was amazing. We experienced moments that we’ll never forget.

DFB.de: Are those the kind of moments that you work towards when you’re doing rehabilitation work after ACL tears?

Gwinn: 100%. There were some particularly tough moments during my rehab work following my second ACL tear. You have to watch your teammates enjoying training and you can’t be a part of it and that can be brutal. Having to go through that a second time was extremely difficult. During that period, I often tried to visualise playing in Paris. I kept on telling myself that it was worth fighting for. I was desperate to get back on the pitch and to have success. Being part of the national team setup is definitely something special.

DFB.de: Do you then appreciate moments like that even more after major setbacks?

Gwinn: You often only realise how special it is to be part of a team when you’re not able to be a part of it, that’s important to note. You’re alone a lot of time when you’re injured, even with all the support from the club and your teammates. You’re not an active part of the team and you’re not in the dressing room every day either. During the eight or nine months of your recovery, you sometimes feel like you don’t belong anymore. This experience has helped me appreciate how great it is to simply be able to play football every day. I’m really grateful for that. Being part of a team is something really special, whether it’s at FC Bayern or with the national team.

DFB.de: You mentioned some of the changes within the national team setup already. After Alexander Popp’s retirement, you captained the team in each of the last four games. What did that mean to you?

Gwinn: This was also one of my highlights for 2024, it’s a real honour. Some fantastic players have fulfilled this role before me, with the likes of Marina Hegering or Svenja Huth doing it before Alex Popp. I’m happy to take on the responsibility.

DFB.de: How does it feel to lead the team out as captain and then hear the national anthem?

Gwinn: It’s an incredible feeling. It’s obviously a huge honour for me and a childhood dream come true.

DFB.de: Are you somebody that likes to take on responsibility? You’re now also the team’s first-choice penalty taker.

Gwinn: I like to lead from the front, even in moments when it’s 0-0 or we’re losing. I’m therefore happy to take on the responsibility of taking a penalty, but that’s not the only time I do so. I want to be a player that inspires the whole team. I want to be a passionate leader and someone that teammates can speak to off the pitch as well, for example for the younger players who might be involved for the first time. That’s part of being a leader. Growing into a leader is a process and doesn’t just happen overnight. I do however think that I’ve grown into a different person after my injuries thanks to all the things I’ve experienced.

DFB.de: How do you personally deal with pressure?

Gwinn: I don’t have any specific way of doing so. You’re always under pressure when you play for FC Bayern and the national team, you can’t avoid it. Our aim is always to win every game if that’s possible. I’m the person that puts the most pressure on myself anyway. I’m a real perfectionist and extremely self-critical. I always try to get the best out of myself. However, I have to make sure that I don’t take things too far and still enjoy my football. You can only have success if that’s the case, which is something I learnt during my time on the sidelines. It’s simply amazing to be out on the pitch and to share this hobby with so many other people. I think that’s something that should always be the case. That doesn’t mean that I’ll lose any focus. You need to find the right balance between being relaxed and under pressure.

DFB.de: How has the first half of the season gone with FC Bayern in your opinion?

Gwinn: We’re in a solid position in every competition. We’re still in the DFB-Pokal and the Champions League, and obviously in the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga too. We’ve had some tricky weeks and months with lots of games. Our summer break was really short too because of the Olympics. The schedule can be extremely challenging at times, but we’ve done well and can be really, really proud of that.

DFB.de: There are four teams currently bunched together at the top of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga and it’s as close as it’s ever been before. What are your thoughts on that?

Gwinn: It’s obviously a great advertisement for women’s football in Germany. It’s exactly what the fans want to see and what German football has hoped for in recent years. Just giving 80% isn’t enough now, you won’t beat the supposed weaker teams like that. Frankfurt and Leverkusen are towards the top of the table and are both doing really well.

DFB.de: It’s now time for the winter break. Are you looking forward to putting your feet up and relaxing for a few days?

Gwinn: I’ve been really looking forward to this break. We’ve had a really busy schedule recently with countless midweek fixtures. However, I don’t want to complain about it. I think every athlete enjoys competing a lot against the best teams and opponents. We’ll definitely enjoy our well-deserved time off now. I’m also looking forward to not every conversation being about football. I’ll use the time to switch off and recharge my batteries.

DFB.de: What are your goals for 2025?

Gwinn: We want to build on our good start to the season in all three competitions and win some silverware. I’d really like to win the DFB-Pokal. I’m also looking forward to an exciting year with the national team. We recently played in Switzerland and won 6-0, which gave us the chance to experience what it will be like there next summer for the European Championship, though that’s a long way off. We’ve got Christmas and New Year first, and I’m excited for both.