Marie-Louise Eta is the first woman to head coach Europe’s top five men’s leagues (German Bundesliga, English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, French Ligue 1, Italian Serie A). She will now take the lead of Bundesliga side Union Berlin as the interim head coach. Her appointment will remain in effect until the end of the season.
Eta’s appointment comes after the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart on 11 April. The German club had lost to the bottom side FC Heidenheim on Saturday by 3-1. The team sits 11th in the 18-team Bundesliga and has 11 points. With five matches remaining, they have only won twice in 14 league matches played this year.
Earlier, Eta made history after becoming the Bundesliga and Union Berlin’s first female assistant coach back in November 2023. She is a former German youth international and Women’s Champions League winner with Turbine Potsdam. Besides that, she has been working as Union Berlin’s under-19s manager since July 2025 and will be starting with the head coach role soon.
Carolina Morace was the first woman to manage a men’s professional team in Europe back in 1999 when she joined Italian third division side Viterbese. 25 years after Eta’s making history.
In July 2023, Hannah Dingley became the first woman to manage a professional men’s team in English football when she was appointed caretaker boss of Forest Green Rovers, although she did not lead the side in a competitive fixture.
Eta herself noted the challenges that she will face in leading the Union, who are currently seven points ahead of St Pauli, who sit in the relegation play-off spot.
Speaking about her new role, she said, “Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure. I am delighted the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations. I am convinced that we will secure the crucial points.
Union Berlin welcomes Eta
Following Eta’s appointment, Union Berlin’s director of men’s football, Horst Heldt, expressed his excitement about her addition and hopes to see lasting changes in the team.
“We have had a hugely disappointing second half of the season and will not allow ourselves to be blinded by our league position. Our situation remains precarious. The performances shown in recent weeks do not give us confidence that we can turn things around with the current set-up. We have therefore decided to make a fresh start,” Heldt said.
Meanwhile, Union Berlin spokesperson Jacob Sweetman highlights the support witnessed on social media after Eta’s appointment as the club’s head coach.
“I have to say, in my best part of 20 years with this club, I am not sure I have ever seen such unanimous support for a new coach coming in. This is only on an interim basis of course but certainly from within the club itself and the fanbase, everybody is very happy with this decision. I would say it is 99% positive,” he said.
(Inputs sourced from BBC)
