Marie-Louise Eta Makes History as First Female Head Coach in Top European Leagues

In a groundbreaking move, Marie-Louise Eta has been appointed as the head coach of Union Berlin, becoming the first woman to hold this position in the top five European men's leagues. Eta, who will take over as the women's team coach next season, has agreed to an interim role to secure the men's team's Bundesliga survival with five games remaining. She previously made history in 2023 as the first female assistant coach in the Bundesliga and the top divisions of Europe's major leagues. Union sporting director Horst Heldt expressed his delight at Eta's appointment, stating, "I'm pleased that Marie Louise Eta has agreed to take on this role on an interim basis before becoming head coach of the women's first team as planned in the summer." Eta replaces Steffen Baumgart, who was dismissed along with his assistants after the team's 3-1 loss to Heidenheim. England manager Sarina Wiegman praised Eta's appointment, saying, "It's great. She's a trailblazer and I think this was a matter of time anyway. Congratulations to her and Berlin. It's exciting. It shows that again football is moving up. There's women in society everywhere and the next step is also in football, male and female." Sabrina Wittmann, the first woman to coach a men's team in Germany's top three divisions, also shared her thoughts on Eta's appointment, highlighting the significance of this milestone for women in football.