Marie-Louise Eta appointed as Union Berlins first female mens team manager

Union Berlin Appoints Marie-Louise Eta as Interim Head Coach

German football club Union Berlin has appointed 34-year-old Marie-Louise Eta as its interim head coach, making her the first female top-flight coach of a men’s team in a major European league. Eta will take over for the remainder of the season following the sacking of Steffen Baumgart.

Baumgart was dismissed on Sunday morning after the club’s form declined in the second half of the season. Union Berlin has won just two games since Christmas and sits seven points above the relegation playoff spot.

Eta, who previously served as an assistant coach for Union Berlin, will lead the team until the end of the season. She had also held a similar role at Turbine Potsdam, where she won the Champions League in 2010 and three Bundesliga titles.

The appointment marks a significant milestone for women’s football in Germany, with Eta becoming the first female head coach in Bundesliga history. Union Berlin sporting director Horst Heldt stated that Eta had agreed to take on the role on an interim basis before becoming the head coach of the women’s first team as planned in the summer.

Eta expressed her gratitude for the club’s trust in a statement, saying she was “delighted” to have been entrusted with the task.

Source: Al Jazeera