A FOOTBALLER turned down a naked cover shoot ahead of the Women’s World Cup – amid fears FIVE ex-players were hit by a Playboy “curse”.
Germany star Giulia Gwinn reportedly rejected Playboy as she battled in vain to make the tournament, which starts on July 20.
The Bayern Munich midfielder, 24, declined to Gwinn and bare it – but team-mate Sophia Kleinherne did let the magazine interview her.
Bild say the magazine were keen to feature a leading Germany player at the start of the yar.
And Playboy Germany boss Florian Boitin said: “Giulia Gwinn is not only an outstanding athlete, but also a beautiful young woman.
“So a personality like her is naturally interesting for Playboy.”
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And although it’s unclear why Gwinn turned Playboy down, German stars have awkward memories from a previous cover shoot with the magazine.
Five players from the National Under-20 squad posed before the 2011 World Cup.
And there’s been a feeling ever since that those taking part – Annika Doppler, Kristina Gessat, Ivana Rudelic, Julia Simic and Selina Wagner – struggled to progress their playing careers.
It was even claimed that then-Bayern midfielder Simic, now 34, saw a move to Manchester City fall apart due to the photos.
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In the end, she went on to play for fellow German sides Turbine Potsdam, Wolfsburg and Freiburg, before spells with West Ham and Milan – yet only won two full caps.
Germany’s football chiefs were also unhappy with that Playboy shoot 12 years ago.
Current Germany manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, 55, has revealed the magazine asked her to appear on the cover in 1989.
And although she said no, she has now also rejected Gwinn – at least for this year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The 33-cap ace did all she could to regain full fitness following a cruciate ligament injury last October
So Voss-Tecklenburg called leaving Gwinn out her “hardest decision”.
The player herself, though, has taken it well.
She told her 535,000 Instagram followers she was “sad and disappointed” – but then “proud” of her recovery efforts.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
