German women’s star ‘turns down a naked cover shoot with Playboy magazine’

German international Giulia Gwinn has reportedly turned down a request from Playboy magazine to appear in a naked cover shoot ahead of the Women’s World Cup.

According to Bild, the Bayern Munich player is said to have been approached by the men’s magazine at the start of this year.

The German newspaper claims Playboy were hoping to include one of the squad’s top players in the shoot when they approached Gwinn.

‘Giulia Gwinn is not only an outstanding athlete, but also a beautiful young woman,’ Playboy Germany boss Florian Boitin said.

‘So a personality like her is naturally interesting for Playboy.’

Playboy’s boss described Gwinn as an ‘outstanding athlete’ and a ‘beautiful young woman’ 

The Bayern Munich star declined the offer as she is instead focused on recovering from injury

Gwinn reportedly declined the offer as she sought to regain full fitness ahead of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer.

The 24-year-old was hoping to recover from a cruciate ligament injury she sustained last October in a bid to be fit in time for the tournament.

Gwinn was expected to be among Germany’s key players after being included in the team of the tournament at the 2022 Euros.

She had previously been named as the best young player at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.

However Gwinn, who has won two league titles with Bayern Munich, missed out on a place in Germany’s squad after failing to sufficiently recover from the injury. 

‘I’ll have to reassess that for myself in the coming days: Actually being fit and still not having a chance to recommend myself for one of the World Cup places,’ Gwinn wrote to her 524,000 Instagram followers last month after being left out of the squad.

Playboy claimed Gwinn’s personality made her ‘naturally interesting’ for the magazine

Five members of Germany’s Under-20 national team posed in a Playboy cover shoot ahead of the 2011 World Cup

‘You can be sad and disappointed for a few days, but then you should definitely be proud of the further successfully completed rehabilitation.

‘The personal exchange with the national coach in the run-up to the nomination was always at eye level and characterised by great mutual respect.’

Germany coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg claimed that leaving Gwinn out of the squad was her ‘hardest decision’, with the Bayern player now set to cover the tournament as a pundit.

Voss-Tecklenburg admitted she had also received the same offer from Playboy back in 1989.

The 55-year-old said that she did not want women’s football to have been impacted by the association to Playboy.

Voss-Tecklenburg also told Bild she would allow her players to make their own decision over whether to agree to a photoshoot.

The two-time German title winner has missed out on appearing at this month’s World Cup

Defender Sophia Kleinherne, who will be a member of Germany’s squad, agreed to an interview with the magazine.

Concerns have also been raised over a potential ‘Playboy curse’, after five members of Germany’s Under-20 national team posed in a cover shoot ahead of the 2011 World Cup.

The five players Annika Doppler, Kristina Gessat, Ivana Rudelic, Julia Simic and Selina Wagner were viewed as having struggled to make the breakthrough following the shoot.

Germany’s national federation had reportedly been angered by the shoot, while Simic’s move to Manchester City allegedly collapsed as a result of the photos.

Germany, the 2003 and 2007 winners, will be the favourites to advance from Group H at the Women’s World Cup against Colombia, Morocco and South Korea.