Marie-Louise Eta continues to be a trailblazer for women in men’s football after landing her first managerial role at a top-flight club within Europe’s big five leagues.
Announced late on Saturday, Eta has been appointed as Union Berlin’s interim head coach until the end of the season.
The 34-year-old replaces Steffen Baumgart who was fired, alongside his assistants Danilo de Souza and Kevin McKenna, after Union Berlin’s 3-1 loss at Bundesliga’s bottom side Heidenheim earlier in the day.
Eta’s hiring means she becomes the first female to lead a men’s team as a manager in either the Bundesliga (Germany), Ligue 1 (France), LaLiga (Spain), Premier League (England) or Serie A (Italy).
In November 2023 she made history by becoming the first female assistant coach in the Bundesliga – joining as part of then-interim Marco Grote’s backroom staff at Union Berlin. Two months later in January 2024 she became the first female coach to take charge of a Bundesliga fixture, guiding Union Berlin to victory over Darmstadt with then-manager Nenad Bjelica serving a three-game touchline ban.
Eta’s remit this season though is to help Union avoid relegation. They currently sit 11th in the Bundesliga table on 32 points with five games remaining. However, they are only seven points clear of 16th-placed St Pauli who will currently face a relegation play-off against the third-place side in the second division which would be Hannover as the tables stand as of today.
Mary-Louise Eta has been announced as Union Berlin’s manager until the end of the season
Union’s relegation fears worsened with a 3-1 loss at bottom side Heidenheim on Saturday
She had been coaching the men’s Under 19 side this season and agreed earlier this month to take over as manager of Union’s women’s team next term.
Upon taking the job, Eta insisted she is confident of preserving Union Berlin’s top-flight status.
‘Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,’ she said.
‘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.’
Speaking of the decision to sack Baumgart and replace him with Eta, Union’s director of men’s football Horst Heldt said: ‘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.
‘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.
‘Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,’ said Eta ahead of the final few games of the season. ‘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.’
Eta’s first game in charge will be on Saturday afternoon at 2.30pm (BST) when Union host second-bottom side Wolfsburg.
