Additional Coverage:
- Union Berlin hire Marie-Louise Eta, first female head coach in Bundesliga, ‘top five’ European leagues (nbcsports.com)
Union Berlin has made history by appointing Marie-Louise Eta as the first female head coach in Bundesliga history, following the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart.
At 34 years old, Eta concluded her playing career with Werder Bremen in 2018 before transitioning into coaching roles with Germany’s U-15, U-17, and U-19 women’s national teams. She joined Union Berlin as an assistant coach in 2023 and has also been involved with the club’s U-19 squad. Until now, no woman had held a head coaching position in Europe’s top leagues, including the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, or Ligue 1.
Addressing the challenge ahead, Eta acknowledged the team’s precarious standing in the league. “Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” she said through the club’s official channels.
“I am delighted that 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.
And, of course, I am convinced that we will secure the crucial points with the team.”
Union Berlin’s recent form has been concerning, with just two Bundesliga victories since the winter break. This slump has seen the club fall from contention for European qualification to 11th place, hovering seven points above the relegation playoff zone and 11 points clear of automatic relegation, with five games remaining this season.
This appointment follows a growing, though still rare, trend of female coaches leading men’s football teams in Europe. Italian Carolina Morace is noted as the first woman to manage a professional men’s team in Europe when she took charge of Serie C side Viterbese in 1999.
In France, Helena Costa briefly led Ligue 2’s Clermont Foot in 2014 before being succeeded by Corinne Dacre. Germany’s Sabrina Wittmann became the first female head coach in the country’s top three divisions with second-tier club Ingolstadt in 2024.
In England, Hannah Dingley served as caretaker manager for Forest Green Rovers during their 2022-23 League One campaign. Additionally, former U.S. professional Julianne Sitch achieved success coaching men’s college soccer, guiding the University of Chicago to a Division III national title.
Union Berlin’s director of men’s professional football, Horst Heldt, commented on the coaching change: “We have had a hugely disappointing second half of the season so far and will not allow ourselves to be blinded by our league position. Our situation remains precarious and we urgently need points to secure our place in the league.
Two wins from fourteen matches since the winter break and the performances shown in recent weeks do not give us the confidence that we can still turn things around with the current set-up. We have therefore decided to make a fresh start.”
Heldt also expressed appreciation for the outgoing coaching staff: “I am delighted that Marie-Louise Eta has agreed to take on this role on an interim basis before becoming head coach of the women’s professional team in the summer as planned. We would like to thank Steffen Baumgart, Danilo de Souza, and Kevin McKenna for their work, to whom we owe our secure survival in the league last season and a good points haul in the first half of this season. We wish them all the best, both professionally and personally.”