Union Berlin appoint first female head coach
Marie-Louise Eta has become the first woman appointed to manage a men's team in one of Europe's top five leagues after being named interim head coach of Bundesliga side Union Berlin. Her appointment until the end of the season follows the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart, whose team lost 3-1 to bottom side FC Heidenheim on Saturday.
Union Berlin are 11th in the 18-team Bundesliga, and are 11 points clear of the automatic relegation zone with five matches remaining. They have only won twice in 14 league outings in 2026. Marie-Louise Eta, 34, became the Bundesliga's first female assistant coach, also with Union Berlin, in November 2023. She deputised for then-manager Nenad Bjelica during a 1-0 win over Darmstadt in January 2024. She has been working as Union Berlin's under-19s manager since July 2025 and will become the club's women's head coach in the summer. Horst Heldt, Union's director of men's football, said, "We have had a hugely disappointing second half of the season and will not allow ourselves to be blinded by our league position." He also said, "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."
Marie-Louise Eta pointed to the challenges she faces, with Union seven points ahead of St Pauli, who sit in the relegation play-off spot. She said, "Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is
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Union Berlin has appointed Marie-Louise Eta as interim head coach - a historic move in European football. This decision raises questions about the club's future and the changing landscape of sports leadership.
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